A Florida father who was widely suspected online of murdering his family has been cleared after police confirmed his wife carried out the killings before taking her own life. Jay Dempsey, 27, had faced intense public suspicion and temporarily lost custody of his surviving daughter after his wife Hailey Dempsey, her mother and two of their children were found shot dead in Hillsborough on 3 May, but investigators have now formally ruled him out and identified his wife as the perpetrator.

Police in Plant City said Hailey Dempsey, 28, shot dead her mother Valerie DeBoe, 58, and two of the couple's children, aged four and four months, before shooting at their two-year-old and missing, then killing herself. Jay was never arrested or charged but was questioned at length, and his surviving daughter was placed in foster care for months until he regained custody on 1 July, once child welfare officials confirmed he was not a suspect. Police chief Richard Mills Jr described an "extremely complex" investigation involving extensive forensic and digital evidence, while Jay's attorney said the family welcomed the truth emerging but that the tragedy "still hurts bitterly".