FL woman charged with murder in shootout that killed deputy, her family

EUSTIS, Fla. (Court TV) — A Florida woman is facing a list of charges, including murder, after a shootout on her property killed one deputy, injured several others, and left her husband and two children dead.

Julie Ann Sulpizio is charged with the murder of Master Deputy Bradley Link. (Lake County Sheriff’s Office)

Julie Sulpizio, 48, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder of a law enforcement officer, as well as six counts of attempted murder and assault charges after a bizarre and deadly incident that began with a 911 call on Friday evening. The caller told dispatchers that his neighbor, identified as Sulpizio, was trespassing on his lawn.

During the call, Sulpizio allegedly began assaulting the caller’s wife, father and others. The caller reported that Sulpizio was “acting religious, accusing them of being sinners” and told them she “knows what they did,” deputies said in a news conference on Monday .

When deputies arrived on the scene, Sulpizio allegedly approached them and ignored instructions to stay back, instead accusing the victims of being involved in pedophilia and asking them, “Who is your God?” Deputies took Sulpizio into custody and transferred her to a hospital for evaluation.

After Sulpizio was taken from the scene, deputies began to look around her property and noted two dead dogs. Concerned, they approached the house to do a well-being check on her husband, Michael, and two daughters believed to be inside. Deputies said that loud banging could be heard, but their announcements and calls for someone to respond were ignored.

Master Deputy Bradley Michael Link was killed in a shootout on Julie Sulpizio’s property on Aug. 2, 2024. (Lake County Sheriff’s Office)

Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell told reporters on Monday that Master Deputy Bradley Michael Link was the first of a group of officers to force entry into the house. Link’s bodyworn camera recorded what deputies described as an ambush, saying that Michael was sitting on the arm of a couch holding a gun and wearing either black sleeves or body armor. While three other deputies managed to escape from the house, Link was left unable to escape, with his bodyworn camera continuing to record. Grinnell described the video, saying, “A female yells within the residence as she racks a firearm and states, ‘My king will kill all of you. You are Lucifer’s children.'” Grinnell noted: “This was in response to deputies calling for Master Deputy Link to crawl to them.”

Two other deputies suffered injuries from the shooting. After hearing three gunshots after a mention of “suicide,” the deputies again gained entry to the home where they found Michael and his two daughters, ages 22 and 23, suffering from deadly self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

When they served a search warrant on the property, deputies said they found more than 20 firearms, including high-caliber rifles, pistols and shotguns which had all been gathered and staged in the living room, along with ammunition. The search also found gas masks, body armor, ghillie suits and “bug out” bags.

Grinnell said that when deputies interviewed Julie in the hospital, “it was disclosed that Julie claimed to be God and often held beliefs that God speaks through her. Julie stated that Michael was the guardian angel Michael, who obeys her, God’s, command.” She also allegedly told deputies that her plan was to lure the neighbors to her home so that Michael could kill them.