Shelby Nealy is set to be sentenced Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the Pinellas County Courthouse, bringing another chapter in the Tarpon Springs killings case before a judge after a jury recommended the death penalty for the murders of Richard Louis Ivancic, Laura Ann Ivancic and Nicholas James Ivancic.
Nealy, 32, already had been serving a 30-year sentence for killing Jamie Ivancic, whose body was found buried in a yard at a Port Richey home in February 2019. Pasco County investigators said Nealy admitted to killing her, then spent about a year sending text messages and photos of the couple’s two children to family members while pretending she was still alive. Police said relatives grew suspicious when they did not hear Jamie Ivancic’s voice.
The separate murders that led to Friday’s hearing happened on New Year’s Day, when Richard Louis Ivancic, 71, Laura Ann Ivancic, 51, and Nicholas James Ivancic, 25, were found dead in their Tarpon Springs home. Officials said Richard and Laura Ivancic were wrapped in area rugs, while Nicholas James Ivancic was wrapped in a painter’s drop cloth. Detectives also identified three family dogs killed by Nealy as Bailey, Bloomer and Buddy, all Bichon Frise mixed breeds.
Investigators said Nealy took Laura Ivancic’s Kia and drove it to Ohio after the murders and intended to return to the Tarpon Springs home to dispose of the bodies. He was later arrested in Ohio and extradited to Florida. Nealy pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter with a weapon for Jamie Ivancic’s death and was sentenced to five years in prison on each of three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.
Defense lawyers argued against the death penalty recommendation in December after a jury recommended it in July. Doctors testified then that Nealy shows signs of PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, and his mother and stepfather testified in his defense before the jury recommendation. Paul Spenson told the court, “He’s my son, my first son,” while Lisa Spenson said, “That’s my son.” Friday’s hearing will determine whether the death recommendation stands, but the record already shows the scale of the killings and the deliberate way investigators say Nealy tried to hide them.
