By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-13 21:28:45 | Updated at 2026-08-14 01:06:13
7 hours ago
A father has been vindicated of a horrific family murder after it emerged it was his wife who shot two of their children and her own mother dead, before taking her own life.
Jay Dempsey, 27, faced a cloud of suspicion and lost custody of his surviving child after the four deaths in Hillsborough, Florida, on May 3.
But on Thursday, police said his wife, Hailey Dempsey, 28, was behind the fatal shootings of her mother Valerie DeBoe, 58, a toddler, four, and a four-month-old. She is said to have fired at the couple's other child, two, but missed, before turning the gun on herself.
The killings stunned the Tampa suburb, and led to allegations that Jay was responsible after he was hauled in for questioning.
He was never arrested or charged in connection with the tragedy, however social media sleuths attempted to drag his name through the mud and imply - or outright accuse - him of being involved.
Plant City police chief Richard Mills Jr said on Thursday that Jay cooperated fully with the investigation, however he admitted it took some time to rule him out as the perpetrator.
'My responsibility as chief of police was to protect the integrity of this investigation until our detectives have evidence necessary to reach a definitive conclusion,' Mills said.
Jay Dempsey's attorney Patrick Courtney said following the press conference that while he was relieved the father was cleared, the tragedy 'still hurts bitterly.'
Hailey Dempsey, 28, killed her mother in her home in Hillsborough, Florida on May 20, before taking two of her children outside and shooting them, according to investigators
The murders led to allegations that Hailey's husband Jay was responsible after he was hauled in for questioning. Jay was never arrested or charged in connection with the tragedy, and he has now been vindicated by police
In a statement on behalf of Jay, Courtney said: 'There are possible words to say about those who would bear false witness, and essential processes that were ignored.
'Words and actions based in misinformation, that sought anger and escalation. But our family seeks what is good. We seek hope and life.'
When Jay was taken in for questioning following the murders, the Florida Department of Children placed his surviving daughter in foster care.
She remained under the care of the state for months, leaving Dempsey grieving the deaths of his family and struggling to get his young daughter back while pleading his innocence.
He eventually obtained custody on July 1 after the Florida Department of Children filed a motion to end its shelter status of the child, as it said police had not arrested Dempsey or referred the case to the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office.
In the motion requesting to give Dempsey his child back, the department said to its knowledge, 'the father is not a suspect.' A judge granted the motion that same day.
In his statement on Thursday, Jay continued: 'What we can say IS good is that finally, after months of anxious waiting, our beloved child has come home.
'We profusely thank the foster family who came alongside our daughter during this time. KD is vibrant and full of life: a demonstration of love and care.'
He also thanked 'brothers and sisters who rushed to help the Dempsey family in our desperate hour of need. The aftershock and pain is something no one can suffer alone. But we are not alone... All of us are having to cope with massive loss that no one should.'
Valerie DeBoe, 58, was shot by her daughter during the murder-suicide episode, police say
Jay lost custody of his surviving child, a two-year-old girl, for months after the killings
At Thursday's press conference, Mills said solving the murders took an 'extremely complex investigation' involving 'extensive forensic analysis and a significant amount of digital evidence.'
'This investigation demanded patience, diligence, and precision,' the police chief said.
'Our responsibility for both families and to our community was to follow evidence wherever it led, and establish the truth of what occurred.'
Investigators have not disclosed a possible motive for the slayings, however Mills said 'there are indications of some mental illness involved with the case.'
According to previously released records from police, officers found Hailey and her two children in the yard of a home on West Tever Street at around 10am local time on May 3.
Hailey was alive with a gunshot wound to her temple and she was lying on top of one of her dead children, records showed. Another youngster was next to her with a gunshot wound to the head, and a third was uninjured nearby.
The mother was taken to hospital where she succumbed to her injuries soon after, while officers said their investigation led them to the Dempsey family home on North Franklin Street.
Officers then found DeBoe's body on the second-floor of the home.
Authorities said evidence showed Hailey killed her own mother, then shot two of her children and attempting to shoot a third, before turning the gun on herself
Jay Dempsey fell under scrutiny from police after his car was found outside the home where DeBoe's body was discovered, and neighbors told officers that they saw him leave in a different vehicle early on the morning of the murders.
He was taken in for questioning, but was never arrested or charged. His attorney said he cooperated fully with the investigation.
