A tragic incident that began with the murder of a 34-year-old Ocala woman and her 4-year-old daughter ended Tuesday night when the woman’s estranged husband took his own life during a traffic stop in Kingsland, Georgia, according to multiple law enforcement agencies.
The Ocala Police Department reported that they were called to the Marion Springs Condominiums around 9:16 p.m. Tuesday after reports of gunfire inside one of the units at 3575 SE Ft. King Street.
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Officers responding to the call found the bodies of 34-year-old Nancy Bacon and her 4-year-old daughter, both of whom had been shot and killed.
Ocala police quickly got information from witnesses who said they saw Bacon’s estranged husband, 38-year-old Ralph Bacon, leaving the complex in a dark-colored SUV with North Carolina license plates shortly after the gunshots were heard.
Investigators immediately sent out a region-wide Be On the Lookout for both Ralph Bacon and the vehicle, which was spotted by multiple license plate readers, showing it was headed north toward the Florida/Georgia border.
Ocala police said they contacted Georgia authorities, and the vehicle was tracked down on I-95, about 7 miles north of the Florida line.
Officers with the Kingsland Police Department pulled Bacon over in the vehicle, and during the traffic stop, Bacon shot and killed himself inside the vehicle, investigators said.
Kingsland police expressed their sadness about the tragedy and praised the professionalism of the officers involved in the traffic stop.
“We are also thankful that our officers remained safe and unharmed as they responded to this incident. Their professionalism and commitment to protecting others is something we never take for granted,” Kingsland police wrote in a social media post.” We are deeply saddened by the events that took place, and our thoughts are with the victims and their family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Ocala police said the investigation is ongoing, and detectives are “actively working at both scenes in Florida and Georgia to obtain more answers and better understand the circumstances that led to this horrific tragedy.”
“Our hearts are with the family, loved ones, and everyone affected by this senseless act of violence,” Ocala police wrote. “The loss of Nancy Bacon and her young daughter is devastating, and we extend our deepest condolences to all who knew them.”