LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – The Eustis woman who faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder on a law enforcement officer, in an ambush attack on deputies made her first appearance Tuesday morning in Lake County.
Julie Jefferson Sulpizio, 48, stood inside of what appeared to be a jail cell while listening to the judge around 9 a.m. Sulpizio nodded and gave short answers after the judge and Sulpizio’s attorney discussed her case and charges.
Sulpizio faces charges of premeditated first-degree murder on a law enforcement officer, seven counts of attempted murder, and four counts of battery. She was arrested around 1:45 p.m. Monday at the AdventHealth Waterman Hospital in Tavares, and she is being held without bond.
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The three deputies were shot late Friday in the area of County Road 439, near Brookside Drive, north of State Road 44. Lake County Master Deputy Bradley Michael Link, 28, died of his injuries, while Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano was shot and critically injured, and Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell was shot and wounded.
Lt. John Herrell on Monday told News 6 more about the family at the center of the attack.
Herrell said Julie Jefferson Sulpizio and her husband, Michael Sulpizio, kept to themselves and had very few occasions to call police.
He said they encountered Julie Jefferson Sulpizio first late Friday night.
“This lady (Julie) then sent them to this house under the guise of conducting a well-being check,” Herrell said on Saturday. “She said something to the effect that you need to go down to this house and check on the people there, so the deputies went down to this house, and it appeared that the house had been burglarized. In fact, they thought they had a possible burglary in progress. As they were posting up on the house, they could hear commotion inside. They tried to order the people out. No one came out, so at that point, they made entry of the home at which time they were immediately met with heavy, heavy gunfire.”
Herrell said the shooters were the woman’s husband and two daughters – Michael Sulpizio, 48; Cheyenne, 23; and Savannah, 22.
Herrell said all three appeared to have fatally shot themselves.
Sulpizio is being held without bond.
Judge Sarah Jones also Sulpizio to have no contact with any of the victims in the case.
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