Former Deputy Accused of Killing Cop Wife, Then Trying to Stage It as Suicide: 'Organized and Premeditated'

A former sheriff’s deputy in Florida was arrested after authorities allege he killed his estranged wife and staged her death as a suicide, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.

On Oct. 18, Anthony Shea, 49, was arrested on charge of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 39-year-old Eloilda "Ellie" Shea, a lieutenant with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the agency said in a statement shared to Facebook.

Anthony was being held in the Orange County Jail on no bond, the sheriff’s office said. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf. 

After responding to a 911 call, deputies found Eloilda with a gunshot wound to the head inside the couple’s Orlando, Fla., home just after 2 p.m. on Monday Oct. 14, according to the arrest warrant affidavit reviewed by PEOPLE. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said the death initally appeared to be a suicide but after further investigation, authorities now believe she was killed by Anthony, her estranged husband, who is also a retired sergeant at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities allege Anthony tried to stage the death as a suicide by sending messages from her cell phone to his personal phone in an attempt to back up his claims.

According to the affidavit, Anthony joined the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in 2006 and retired as a sergeant from the agency in August of this year. 

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in its statement that Anthony resigned “while under investigation for allegations that would have resulted in his termination.” The office did not provide further details.

But per the affidavit, Anthony told authorities that he and Eloilda had been arguing the day before she died because he was having an “on duty” affair, which prompted his resignation.

The next morning, authorities said Eloilda had "called in sick" for work. According to the affidavit, Anthony claimed she wanted space and had asked Anthony to take their two children out so she could rest. Anthony said he left to get groceries and when he got home, he said he found his wife on the bed in a pool of blood with a gun on her chest, per the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, Anthony claimed to investigators that Eloilda had attempted suicide in the past and had suicidal thoughts, citing previous traumatic experiences. Authorities allege they obtained text messages, surveillance footage and an audio file that led them to believe Anthony played a role in his estranged wife's killing.

“Anthony Shea attempted to mislead detectives by establishing an alibi and providing a motive for suicide,” the affidavit alleges. “The investigation determined Anthony Shea's actions were organized and premeditated."

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In a separate statement, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office called Eloilda’s death a “devastating loss.”

“She lit up every room she entered with her infectiously bubbly personality, beautiful spirit and kind smile,” the sheriff's office said of Eloilda, who joined the agency in 2011. 

“Ellie was a mentor, teacher, advocate, protector, cheerleader and an inspiration to women aspiring to be leaders," the statement added.

A GoFundMe campaign has been created by loved ones to help support Eloilda's two daughters, ages 7 and 2.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.