ST AUGUSTINE, FL. (THECOUNT) — Ellie Marie Washtock, of St. Augustine, has been identified as the victim found shot dead last week inside a condo in St. Johns County World Golf Village community.
Washtock, 38, was described by authorities as someone independently researching the Michelle O’Connell (pictured) case.
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The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said, Washtock died from a gunshot wound and was found dead by a 15-year-old son about 7:30 a.m. Thursday at a home at Laterra Condominiums inside the gated community.
“Washtock, identified as a female and a male, which delayed a positive identification from the medical examiner’s office,” the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. “The medical examiner’s office was able to make a positive identification from physical characteristics on the deceased.”
Washtock made one public request of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, on Aug. 22, for scene photos of the night O’Connell died. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office released one disk, which was picked up on Aug. 30, and charged the individual $7.50 for it, News4Jax reported Monday.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement declined to help preserve and process Thursday’s scene, according to a statement provided by an FDLE spokesperson:
“Impartiality is paramount in a death investigation. Given the circumstances of this case, it was appropriate for FDLE to refer Putnam County Sheriff’s Office to another agency for crime scene assistance. This was done out of an abundance of caution to ensure unnecessary distraction and impartiality. FDLE’s lab system will provide forensic assistance.”
O’Connell, 24, died in September 2010 of a gunshot wound inflicted by the service weapon belonging to her boyfriend, St. Johns County Deputy Jeremy Banks. Her death was ultimately ruled suicide, but members of her family have long held onto the belief that she did not take her own life.
Developing.
Geo quick facts: St. Augustine is a city on the northeast coast of Florida. It lays claim to being the oldest city in the U.S., and is known for its Spanish colonial architecture as well as Atlantic Ocean beaches like sandy St. Augustine Beach and tranquil Crescent Beach. Anastasia State Park is a protected wildlife sanctuary. The Castillo de San Marcos is a 17th-century Spanish stone fortress with views of the St. Augustine Inlet – wikipedia.