Man kills estranged wife, 4-year-old girl in Marion County, police chief says

OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - Ocala Police Department officers say a mother and her 4-year-old daughter were shot and killed by a man Tuesday night.

Officers say Ralph Bacon, 38, shot and killed his estranged wife, Nancy Bacon, 34, and her 4-year-old daughter, Eden, at Marion Springs Condominiums on Fort King Street.

Neighbors called 911 around 9:16 p.m. after hearing gunshots from inside the victim’s condo. They reported seeing Ralph Bacon leaving the apartment in an SUV.

Authorities issued a BOLO for the vehicle, and it was spotted in Georgia about seven miles north of the Florida border.

Officers from Kingsland, Ga., conducted a traffic stop, and Ralph Bacon shot and killed himself inside the SUV.

Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken said at a press conference on Wednesday that the parentage of Nancy Bacon’s 4-year-old daughter may have been the motivation for the shooting.

“We know that, that child the 4-year-old was not the shooter’s biological daughter. And we’ve heard through witnesses as well that that was a key issue within the relationship,” said Balken.

Nancy Bacon’s mother shared with reporters that her granddaughter’s biological father is from Sri Lanka and had a muslim background.

She described Ralph Bacon as a “deadbeat” with racial prejudices, and that she always believed he would end up hurting them.

TRENDING: 2-year-old killed in driveway accident in Marion County

The investigation is ongoing as authorities piece together exactly what happened.

“Our hearts are with the family, loved ones, and everyone affected by this senseless act of violence. The loss of Nancy Bacon and her young daughter is devastating, and we extend our deepest condolences to all who knew them,” the police department stated.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24/7. the number is 800-799-7233.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.