The two people found dead inside a condominium on Feb. 10 were a mother and her 4-year-old daughter, Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken said during a news conference held Feb. 11 inside the department’s community room.
Balken said the shooter was the woman’s estranged husband, Ralph Bacon, who later shot and killed himself in Georgia.
The chief said about 9:16 p.m. Feb. 10 officers were called to Marion Springs Condominiums, 3575 SE Fort King St., after gunshots were heard.
Arriving at the location, officials discovered the two dead people inside a condo unit. They were identified as Nancy Bacon, 34, and her 4-year-old daughter Eden Barker-Wickramarachchi.
Witnesses told officers they saw the woman’s estranged husband leaving the area in a dark-colored SUV with North Carolina license plates.
Through their investigation, detectives were able to identify the potential suspect as Ralph Bacon, 38. A bulletin was issued for him and the vehicle, the chief said.
Ocala police officials were told Bacon’s vehicle was located traveling north toward the Florida/Georgia border. They contacted Georgia officials, who saw the vehicle northbound on Interstate 95, roughly seven miles north of the Florida line.
Kingsland (Georgia) Police Department officials initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle. Bacon shot and killed himself inside the vehicle, Balken said.
The chief said Georgia authorities are dealing with that scene. Meanwhile, the Ocala Police Department continues to investigate locally.
Ocala officials said a firearm was recovered from the vehicle. They will determine whether it was the gun used in the shooting deaths. Detectives said they don’t have a motive for the shootings.
Domestic violence
During the news conference, Balken said there was no history of domestic violence between the man and woman. He said Eden was not Ralph Bacon’s daughter.
Though Ralph Bacon doesn’t have a criminal history in Marion County, the chief said he does have one elsewhere. One incident was about making threats.
Balken described the relationship between the Bacons as on and off.
The Feb. 10 deaths are the first domestic violence homicides for 2026 for the city of Ocala.
According to the Family Violence Prevention Work Group, there were three domestic violence-related murders in Marion County in 2025. All three were in unincorporated Marion.
According to OPD, in 2025 the agency handled 642 domestic violence cases involving 748 victims and 98 dating violence cases involving 108 victims.
Since November, the Ocala Police Department has investigated five shooting deaths. Of those, one was classified as stand your ground, while the remaining four were ruled as murders.
The last murder was in early January, when a man shot and killed a homeowner in his front yard. That shooter has been arrested and charged.
The chief said unfortunately domestic violence cases are very difficult to predict and extremely hard to prevent.
If anyone feels they’re in a bad domestic relationship, he or she can call CASA Marion at (352) 722-2272.
(This story was updated to include additional information)
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala police: Man fatally shot estranged wife and her 4-year-old daughter, then killed himself
Reporting by Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner / Ocala Star-Banner
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