Judge finds Julie Sulpizio competent to stand trial in Lake County deputy ambush case

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A Lake County judge ruled that Julie Sulpizio is competent to stand trial in connection with a 2024 ambush that killed a sheriff’s deputy and wounded two others.

Circuit Judge Brian Welke issued the order following a June 26 competency hearing, finding that although Sulpizio is mentally ill, she is able to communicate with her attorney and understands the charges and proceedings against her.

[TIMELINE: What exactly happened in Lake County ambush attack of 3 deputies]

Sulpizio is accused of luring Lake County sheriff’s deputies into an ambush by her husband and daughters at her rural Eustis home on Brookside Drive in August 2024. Master Deputy Bradley Link was fatally shot. Deputies Harold Howell and Stefano Gargano survived their injuries.

The sheriff’s office said Sulpizio’s family members later died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Sulpizio faces charges including first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, three counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer, and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The state has filed notice it intends to seek the death penalty.