Police said the couple had three young children and were going through a divorce.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A 6-year-old child came home from school Monday and found both parents dead inside a Port St. Lucie home after an apparent murder-suicide, police said.
The deaths left three young children without their parents and opened another domestic-related death investigation in a city that has seen similar cases before. Police identified the parents as Jimsley Estime, 31, and Ketsy Alexis, 30, and said detectives were still reviewing evidence, prior reports and the couple’s divorce history.
Officers were called at about 5:30 p.m. Monday to the 2700 block of Southwest Ensenada Terrace for a report of gunshot victims. They found Estime and Alexis dead inside the home with apparent gunshot wounds. Police said the couple’s two youngest children, ages 1 and 2, were inside the residence when the shooting happened. Their 6-year-old sibling returned home from school, found the younger children upset and then found both parents dead in the kitchen area. The child contacted a family member, who called 911. Detectives recovered a firearm at the scene and continued processing the house for evidence.
Investigators said the couple had been married for about seven years and were in the process of a divorce. Police said the deaths appeared to be an isolated murder-suicide, but they had not publicly said which adult fired the fatal shots. They also had not released the exact time of the shooting or said whether anyone nearby reported hearing gunfire before officers arrived. Police said preliminary findings showed the divorce case may have involved allegations of infidelity and a person who lived outside St. Lucie County. Officials did not name that person or describe any role the person may have had in the investigation.
The case followed earlier domestic-related contact between the couple and police. Investigators said one prior Port St. Lucie Police Department case involved alleged written threats to kill. A warrant was issued for Estime, and he was arrested Jan. 26, police said. After the arrest, Alexis filed a non-prosecution affidavit on Feb. 5 asking that the charges be dismissed and stating that she did not want to testify or pursue the case. Police said the earlier case was later dismissed. The deaths on Southwest Ensenada Terrace happened a little more than three months after that affidavit was filed.
No new criminal charge had been filed in the Monday shooting because both adults were dead. Detectives were expected to complete forensic work on the recovered gun, review prior police records and interview relatives, neighbors and others connected to the couple. Police also were reviewing the couple’s legal history and the pending divorce as part of the death investigation. Officials did not release details about the children’s conditions after officers arrived, where they were taken or whether any of them witnessed the shooting. The Florida Department of Children and Families often becomes involved after violent deaths leave minors without caregivers, but police had not announced details of any child welfare placement.
Neighbors described the family as known in the area and said the children became the center of community concern after police filled the street Monday afternoon. “They were a beautiful family, beautiful,” a neighbor identified as Irma told a local television station. “Just something happened between wife and husband.” Another neighbor, Pamela, said people nearby were focused on the children. “We pray for the family,” Pamela said. Local advocates who work with domestic violence survivors said cases can become especially dangerous when a relationship is ending. Pam O’Brien, president and CEO of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, said survivors often need several attempts before a relationship ends for good.
As of Tuesday, Port St. Lucie police said the investigation remained active. Detectives had identified the two adults, recovered a firearm and confirmed the prior domestic case, but they had not released a final investigative finding or the full timeline of the shooting.
Author note: Last updated Tuesday, May 12, 2026.