A Florida couple was found dead on the side of the road with their throats slashed and multiple stab wound in what the local police chief said was “one of the most vicious and gruesome incidents” he has ever seen.
In a press release regarding the incident on Monday, March 7th, Daytona Beach Police identified the victims as 48-year-old Terry Aultman and 55-year-old Brenda Aultman.
The married couple had reportedly just moved to the residential beachside area six months prior to the incident and were riding their bicycles back home from Bike Week festivities when they were attacked. They were only a mile away from their home when they were killed.
Police said they received a call about the murder at approximately 2 a.m. on Sunday after a man called 911 informing them that he had come across a man lying face-down on the side of the road and a woman lying face-up near him, both covered in blood. The couple’s two bicycles were discovered lying near their bodies.
“This is probably one of the most vicious and gruesome incidents that I’ve witnessed in my 20 years,” Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said, according to reporting from local news outlet WESH-TV. “We can’t rule out that this may be totally random, but if it is totally random, the person responsible has to be deranged.”
In an update post on Tuesday, March 8th, police released photos and a video of a person of interest in the murder, asking the community to come forward with any information.
THREAD (1 OF 2): Can you tell us who this is?
We're looking for this man in connection to the murders of a married couple this past weekend. He is a person of interest.#DaytonaBeach #DaytonaStrong #DBPDStrong pic.twitter.com/3vtWj0a6F7
— Daytona Beach Police (@DaytonaBchPD) March 8, 2022
As of Tuesday morning, police were still searching for the person of interest.
“We will spare no expense and leave no stone unturned in order to solve this case,” Chief Young said in a statement. “I assure you that our detectives are doing all they can to bring justice to the loved ones of these victims.”
Jesse Dylan, the Aultmans’ next-door neighbor, recalled that the couple had just moved to the area, saying that they seemed like they were extremely happy and just enjoying life together.
“They walked to the beach every day. It was like their dream house. They bought bicycles. They just bought a Jeep. They were loving it. They loved the neighborhood,” Dylan said.
“He was a responsible guy,” Dylan added, speaking about Terry Aultman. “They even took bicycles because he was drinking. He left his car, left his motorcycle here. Left their car, left their truck here. It is a real shame what happened to them you know.”
Another resident of the area, Donald Sears, spoke up about the murders, saying: “My wife is not leaving the house by herself. I can tell you that right now. And obviously, it was a man and a woman, so it makes you think even the both of us are [thinking], ‘How safe is our neighborhood?'”
Source: The Blaze
