Shelby Nealy gets death penalty in 2018 triple murder of wife's family in Tarpon Springs

CLEARWATER, Fla. - A Pinellas County judge sentenced Shelby Nealy to death for the brutal murders of his then-wife’s parents and her brother.

The backstory:

According to court records, the murders were part of an effort by Nealy to avoid being caught in the earlier killing of his wife at the time, Jaime Ivancic, in Pasco County in 2018.

Nealy previously pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Richard Ivancic, Laura Ivancic, and Nicholas Ivancic. A jury later recommended the death penalty by an 11-1 vote for each.

Timeline:

Investigators say Nealy strangled and beat his wife, buried her body and then used a cover-up story for nearly a year.

Prosecutors say Nealy later traveled to Tarpon Springs with a plan to eliminate potential witnesses, killing Jaime's family members with a hammer over the course of two days in December 2018 while staying at their home.

Dig deeper:

The judge found that the state proved multiple aggravating factors beyond a reasonable doubt, including Nealy’s prior violent felony convictions, his gruesome murders committed to avoid arrest, and the reasoning behind the killings that were cold, calculated and premeditated. 

The court said those factors outweighed dozens of mitigating circumstances presented by the defense.

What they're saying:

At the sentencing on Friday afternoon, the judge said he'd already made a decision on Nealy's sentencing, but the court heard one final victim impact statement from Jamie's biological sister, who spoke via video conference.

"The day that she was taken shattered everybody's world," Jamie's biological sister, Karma Stewart said. "She should still be here today experiencing her amazing children and making memories with them. She was a very beautiful, kind and strong mom who should be here raising them."

Two of the Ivancic's surviving biological children were in the courtroom Friday as Nealy was sentenced, and they spoke afterward.

"Finally, justice has been served. This coward's gonna get what he deserved," Rich Ivancic, the oldest son, said. "Justice was served. I think the judge made a great ruling. Family will have some closure finally."

Rich said he was the one who called police for a welfare check back in 2018, which led to investigators finding the bodies of his parents and stepbrother.

"They were kind people," Rich said. "They were really kind people that they adopted these kids when they had nothing. At a young age. They came from drug-addicted family members. So, they gave them everything that we never had growing up."

The other side:

The defense argued Nealy’s mental health history, traumatic upbringing, brain injuries and expressions of remorse were key parts of evidence. The judge acknowledged more than 40 mitigating factors, each with different levels of significance.

However, the court ultimately ruled those factors did not outweigh the severity and brutal nature of the crimes.

The judge imposed three death sentences — one for each victim.

Nealy had already been serving a 30-year prison sentence for pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of Jamie Ivancic.

Nealy didn't say anything when the judge asked if he had any final words. He accepted his fate without a reaction.

Attorneys representing Nealy said they already filed a motion for a new trial.

What's next:

Nealy will be taken to the Florida Department of Corrections, while the case is reviewed by the Florida Supreme Court.