Man Suspected Of Killing And Impersonating Ex-Wife Allegedly Ambushed Her Family After They’d Become Suspicious

A man suspected of killing his ex-wife and posing as her for nearly a year allegedly ambushed her parents and brother and bludgeoned them to death with a hammer after they'd become suspicious of his ruse.

Jamie Nicole Ivancic, 21, hadn’t been seen since January 2018 but her husband Shelby John Nealy (who also goes by Shelby Svensen), 25, allegedly posed as her over text messages until the following December. 

When her family began to worry, Nealy killed them in order to cover up his wife’s murder, authorities allege in newly released court records cited by the Tampa Bay Times.

“Jamie’s parents, Richard and Laura Ivancic, were starting to get suspicious because they had not heard their daughter’s voice,” a detective wrote in the complaint. Instead of hearing her voice, the family received text messages and pictures of the two young children she shares with Nealy. These messages were allegedly sent by Nealy,  according to the court records.

In December, Ivancic’s parents and brother went off the radar. A welfare check led to a gruesome discovery at her parent's home in Tarpon Springs: Ivancic's dad, Richard Louis Ivancic, 71, her mother, Laura Ann Ivancic, 59 and her adult brother Nicholas James Ivancic, 25, were all found slain. Three small breed dogs were also dead inside the home, according to WFLA in Tampa. Investigators believe they were ambushed by Nealy a little before Christmas with a hammer, according to the Associated Press. Not long after the gruesome discovery of the three bodies, Nicole Ivancic's body was found at a Port Richey home where she used to live.

Nealy has allegedly admitted that once the text messages stopped fooling his ex’s family he drove to their home “with the intent to kill all three victims,” according to court documents.

He allegedly killed Richard Ivancic first, on Dec. 15. When Laura Ivancic returned home the same evening, Nealy allegedly killed her with the same hammer before wrapping the two bodies in rugs.

Then, he allegedly killed his former brother-in-law as he slept on the couch early during the wee hours of Dec. 16 in the same home, also with a hammer. According to the comlpaint, Nealy was seen on video buying supplies at a Home Depot that were used in the murders. During the days after the murders, Nealy allegedly was spotted selling jewelry at pawn shops.

He also ordered a pizza from Domino’s to that home, a few days after he allegedly killed them.

Nealy was extradited Saturday to Florida from Ohio, where he has spent the last month behind bars. He faces three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and one count of grand theft. He’s currently being held without bond.

He has not yet been charged in the death of his ex-wife. Authorities believe she was murdered about a year ago, and that that’s when Nealy began trying to pose as her through her phone.

Nealy and Ivancic’s children, ages 2 and 3, are unharmed. They are now in state custody.

[Photos: Tarpon Springs Police Department, Lakewood Police Department]