Support truly
independent journalism
A conspiracy-obsessed Florida couple with a stockpile of weapons planned to “ambush” perceived sinners, a plot that culminated in the killing of a deputy and injuring of two other officers, according to a new affidavit.
"This was nothing short of an ambush, and the evidence will show that," said State Attorney Bill Gladson at the news conference earlier this week.
Residents of Eustis, Florida, 40 miles northwest of Orlando, called the Lake Couty Sheriff’s Office to report that a neighbor, Julia Sulpizio, walked into their yard, struck them, and called them sinners.
When deputies arrived, Sulpizio told them the neighbors were “involved in pedophilia” and described a plan with her husband, Michael Sulpizio, to trick the devil by luring people into the couple’s house for an ambush.
Michael Sulpizio also allegedly threatened neighbors, telling them, "The next time I see you, I’m going to shoot you."
"It is at this point where Julie Sulpizio includes law enforcement (redacted) into her plan of luring the group to be ambushed by Michael Sulpizio who is awaiting the arrival of ‘darks’ to kill them, as later learned to be the planned ‘mission,’" the affidavit, obtained by Florida news station WESH, reads.
Julie Sulpizio then approached officers, who warned her to step back, one of them drawing his taser, to which she responded, “That’s God’s light.”
Deputies put the woman in handcuffs and requested medical attention for her mental state, then moved on to inspect her house.
Officers tried to make contact with those inside, but were unsuccessful, according to the affidavit.
In the yard, police reportedly found two dead dogs, and heard loud banging noises coming from inside the home.
Eventually, officers forced their way in, and body camera footage shows deputies encountering a male “in a black sleeves shirt or body armor positioned with a rifle on the arm of the couch, waiting to ambush deputies,” according to the court documents.
Multiple shots were fired from inside the house, killing Master Deputy Sheriff Bradley Michael Link, 28. Master Deputy Sheriff Harold Howell and Deputy First Class Stefano Gargano were also wounded during the operation, according to Florida officials.
As gunshots from inside continued, officers heard a female voice say, “My king will kill all of you.”
A SWAT team later raided the home, and found the bodies of Michael Sulpizio, and his adopted daughters, Cheyenne Sulpizio, 22, and Savanah Sulpizio, 23, with what appeared to be self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Inside, police also found more than 20 guns, a stockpile of ammunition, gas masks, a camouflage system and ant-government and conspiracy-related materials. Those included bumper stickers and advertisements for right-wing media like Infowars.
During an interrogation with Julie Sulpizio at the hospital, the woman reportedly admitted to helping stage the ambush. She claimed there’s an "additional human body under the residence which Michael had ‘trapped’ approximately one week ago," though police haven’t confirmed that.
She also "claimed to be God … and (her husband) Michael is the guardian angel Michael, which obeys God’s, her, command," Grinnell said at the news conference.
Sulpizio has been charged with 12 counts including murder of a law enforcement officer, to which she has pleaded not guilty. The Independent has contacted her public defender for comment.
Richard Eldrige, the biological father of Cheyenne and Savanah Sulpizio, said he was shocked to learn what happened and believed his daughters had been brainwashed.
"My mind went numb," he told Fox 35 Orlando. "I just sat in the dark for quite a few hours until I could kind of collect myself."
"No kids whatsoever should be put in that kind of environment," he added.
Sulpizio is scheduled to be arraigned in early February and could face the death penalty if convicted.
