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Plant City police have concluded that a 27-year-old Florida mother was solely responsible for the killings of her mother and two of her children before fatally shooting herself in a May tragedy that left investigators reviewing hundreds of physical and digital pieces of evidence. According to Plant City Police Chief Richard Mills Jr., the multi-month investigation definitively ruled out any surviving suspects in the deaths.
The Investigation Timeline and Crime Scenes
The sequence of events began on May 3 at a residence on Burton Street in Plant City, Florida, according to Plant City Police Department statements. Investigators determined that Hailey Dempsey, 27, shot her mother, 55-year-old Valerie DeBoe, inside the home. Following the initial shooting, Dempsey left the residence with her three children and walked to the 300 block of West Tever Street. In a landscaped area outside a home there, she shot two of her children and attempted to shoot a third child, who managed to escape uninjured. Dempsey then turned the gun on herself. Responding emergency crews found her alive, but she later died at a local hospital.
First responders discovered a 4-month-old infant and a 4-year-old child dead at the West Tever Street scene. The third child, a 2-year-old girl, survived without physical injuries. Concurrently, officers dispatched to the Burton Street home discovered the body of Valerie DeBoe, who had also suffered fatal gunshot wounds. The complexity of managing multiple crime scenes required extensive forensic analysis and evidence collection.
Clearing the Father and Reviewing Evidence
Jay Dempsey, the husband of Hailey Dempsey and father of the children, was initially detained for questioning following the incident. According to police statements, he cooperated fully with investigators from the outset. Chief Mills stated during a press briefing that detectives had to process a massive volume of evidence before formally clearing Jay Dempsey of any involvement. The exhaustive probe included analyzing hundreds of pieces of physical evidence, conducting forensic and digital extractions, and carrying out numerous interviews across multiple locations.
Public speculation had swirled on social media during the initial months following the tragedy due to a scarcity of early public details, with some online users pointing suspicion toward the father. However, court documents and police findings confirmed no warrants were ever issued for Jay Dempsey, and investigators found no evidence implicating him in the homicides.
Custody Proceedings and Family Response
Legal proceedings moved forward over the summer months as authorities verified the father's lack of involvement. In July, a judge authorized the return of the minor child to the care of Jay Dempsey after determining that continued state supervision was no longer required.
The family released a public statement through their attorney, Patrick Courtney, following the conclusion of the police investigation. The statement noted that while the police department’s final determinations were anticipated, the official confirmation does not diminish the enduring grief caused by the event. The family expressed gratitude to the foster family who cared for the toddler in the months after the tragedy and requested privacy as they continue their recovery process.
Mental Health Indicators and Official Findings
While the Plant City Police Department stated they could not establish a definitive motive for the killings, Chief Mills indicated that investigators uncovered indicators pointing toward mental health struggles connected to the case. Authorities did not release further specifics regarding that investigative line.
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