Florida woman charged in deadly deputy ambush faces competency hearing
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - The woman charged in an ambush that killed a Lake County Sheriff's deputy and injured two others is expected in court on Friday for a competency review hearing.
Julie Sulpizio faces charges of first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the 2024 attack.
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What we know:
Sulpizio was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in 2025 and found incompetent for trial, according to court records.
However, earlier this year, doctors at the Florida State Hospital deemed her competent to stand trial, according to court documents.
During the hearing, a judge is expected to make a ruling on her competency.
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Deputy killed, two others injured in ambush
The backstory:
Sulpizio is accused of luring deputies to her rural Lake County home in August 2024 to ambush them.
Deputies were responding to a disturbance call at the home where Sulpizio lived with her husband and their two adult daughters.
When deputies arrived at Sulpizio's home, they were attacked and met with a "hail of gunfire," authorities said.
Master Deputy Bradley Link was shot and killed in the attack. Deputies Harold Howell and Stefano Gargano were injured.
Sulpizio's husband and her two daughters were found dead inside the home with self-inflicted gunshot wounds, according to authorities.
The Source: This story was written with information from Lake County court records and previous reporting.