OCALA, Fla. – A man who shot and killed his ex-wife and her 4-year-old daughter on Tuesday in Ocala was tracked by law enforcement to Georgia, where he then took his own life in a traffic stop, according to police Chief Mike Balken.
Police were called Tuesday night to the Marion Springs Condominiums on East Fort King Street, where 38-year-old Ralph Bacon shot and killed 34-year-old Nancy Bacon and her daughter, Eden, in an apartment, Balken said during a news conference Wednesday morning.
“It’s very shocking, and the fact that it was somebody I knew it makes it even more shocking...Just a beautiful little girl and her mother was very protective of her,” neighbor Jill Johnsen told News 6.
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The 911 caller who reported hearing shots fired said they saw the suspect driving away in a dark-colored SUV with North Carolina plates.
According to Balken, the suspect was quickly identified and tracked via license-plate readers while driving north on Interstate 95. Some 7 miles north of the state line, Georgia authorities moved in and began to conduct a traffic stop, the chief said.
[MORE: Double homicide investigated in Ocala]
“The Kingsland, Georgia, Police Department initiated a traffic stop on our suspect vehicle, at which time the suspect shot and killed himself inside his car,” Balken said. “(...) He had shot himself before the car even came to a stop.”
Chief Balken said Ralph Bacon and Nancy Bacon had “a challenging relationship,” “on-again/off-again” for several years, adding Ralph had recently moved back in with Nancy around Christmas.
Eden was not the shooter’s biological daughter, Balken said, describing that as “a key issue within the relationship.”
“We’re looking into his history. Now, I will say that there are some interesting cases — at least one in Georgia, that we’re aware of, where he made some terroristic threats. So we’re doing some background work on that. We have no history of domestic violence with these two here locally," Balken said.
Detectives in Georgia are investigating the traffic-stop shooting while Ocala police continue to investigate the double homicide, according to Balken.
“Domestic violence, it’s one of those types of cases that they’re extremely difficult to predict and they can happen across, you know, it doesn’t matter where you live. It doesn’t matter; race, creed, any of that. It happens across our society, so they’re very difficult to predict, and because of that, unfortunately, they’re extremely difficult to prevent as well. We do have resources out there, CASA Marion here in Ocala, Marion County, offers 24/7 services for those potential victims that need help. That help exists and it’s a phone call away," Balken said.
Our hearts are with the family, loved ones, and everyone affected by this senseless act of violence. The loss of Nancy Bacon and her young daughter is devastating, and we extend our deepest condolences to all who knew them
Ocala Police Department statement 2/11/26 (excerpt)
An online fundraiser to support the family can be found by clicking here.
Watch the news conference again in the video player below or by clicking here: