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CLEARWATER, Fla. - Testimony is set to resume for a third day Friday in the sentencing trial of Shelby Nealy, who faces the death penalty for killing his former in-laws in Pinellas County nearly a year after killing his wife.
Shelby Nealy murder case
The backstory:
Nealy is already in prison, serving a 30-year sentence after pleading guilty to manslaughter for killing his wife, Jamie Ivancic, 21, in Pasco County in January 2018.
Prosecutors said Nealy strangled and beat Jamie to death, then buried her in the backyard of their Port Richey home.
Pictured: Jamie Ivancic.
According to investigators, Nealy posed as Jamie for months before her family became suspicious.
In December 2018, he went to Jamie's parents' home in Tarpon Springs. Jamie's brother, Nick Ivancic, also spent a lot of time at their parents' house.
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When her father, Richard Ivancic, was home alone, Nealy went into the home and beat him with a hammer, then rolled his body up in a carpet and left him to die.
When Jamie's mother, Laura Ivancic, got home, Nealy beat her to death with the hammer, then rolled her body up in a carpet as well.
Eventually, Jamie's brother, Nick, arrived at the home where Nealy then beat him to death with a hammer.
Their bodies were found about two weeks later, and investigators arrested Nealy in Ohio in January 2019.
In late 2023, Nealy pleaded guilty in Pinellas County to three counts of first-degree murder, along with three counts of aggravated animal cruelty for killing the family's dogs.
Mugshot for Shelby Nealy from 2019 (left) and photo of the suspect in 2023 court hearing.
Sentencing phase
What they're saying:
On Thursday, jurors heard from investigators, including a Tarpon Springs police officer and a Pinellas County forensic science specialist.
Prosecutors also showed the jury photos of the crime scene throughout the family's home, pointing to blood stains and paint splatter, which they said appeared to be an attempt to cover up the blood.
Pictured: Shelby Nealy in court during his sentencing trial.
The most emotional moment during Thursday's testimony came when Mark Ivancic, the youngest son of Richard Ivancic Sr., took the stand and shared a statement.
"The loss of my father, Laura and Nick has been devastating and has created a ripple effect of remaining trauma," Mark Ivancic said. "Watching my remaining siblings and other family members suffer, carrying grief they will never put down is heartbreaking beyond words, all because of him."
Dig deeper:
Testimony began Wednesday after the state gave an opening statement. The jury heard from two neighbors of Jamie's parents, along with Richard Ivancic's oldest son from a previous marriage.
What's next:
Shelby Nealy's sentencing trial is set to resume Friday at 10 a.m.
The Source: This story was written with information from Pinellas County court records and previous FOX 13 News reports.