A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputy and his former girlfriend were found dead Monday evening following an apparent murder-suicide that began with a domestic dispute outside the woman’s Hudson home, according to Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco and Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
Sheriff Nocco stressed during an evening press conference that the investigation remains preliminary.
The incident began at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Monday, August 10, 2026, after the woman returned home with her two children, ages 12 and 9, following a day at the beach.
As they arrived at the home in Hudson, the woman encountered her former boyfriend, identified as 47-year-old Troy Savetz, who was standing in the yard.
Savetz was a 14-year veteran of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and was currently assigned to the agency’s Marine Unit. Before joining PCSO, he had prior law enforcement experience with the St. Louis Police Department.
According to investigators, Savetz and the woman began arguing over property, including a television that Savetz reportedly wanted returned.
At some point during the argument, the woman attempted to call 911, but Savetz allegedly took the phone from her hand, preventing her from completing the call.
The woman then instructed her children to go inside the home and call 911.
The children complied and remained on the phone with dispatchers, providing information about what was occurring outside and identifying Savetz as a Pinellas County deputy.
Nocco praised the children, particularly the child who communicated with the dispatcher, for remaining calm and providing critical information during an extremely traumatic situation.
Pasco County deputies arrived at the residence and cleared the home, locating and securing the two children. Deputies found the woman’s truck outside, her cellphone at the residence and the door open, but neither the woman nor Savetz could be located.
Investigators subsequently learned that Savetz had rented a vehicle and authorities began attempting to locate it.
The Florida Highway Patrol, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and Hernando County Sheriff’s Office were notified as Pasco deputies deployed K-9 teams, drones and aviation resources.
Investigators eventually received location information placing the rental vehicle in the 16800 block of Platinum Drive.
A Pasco County deputy located the vehicle, and a drone was deployed before deputies approached because authorities knew Savetz was armed and did not know whether he remained alive.
The drone showed two people inside the vehicle.
Deputies then approached and determined that both Savetz and the woman were dead. The discovery was made at approximately 7 p.m.
Investigators believe Savetz shot and killed the woman before taking his own life, although authorities were still working to establish exactly when and where the woman was killed.
Nocco said investigators later learned that a witness had seen Savetz driving the rental vehicle and exchanged a thumbs-up gesture with him sometime before the vehicle was located.
Authorities have not released the woman’s identity.
Nocco said the woman’s two children are now in the care of their biological father.
During the press conference, Nocco spoke directly to the children, saying their mother had instructed them to go inside to protect themselves and call 911, and that they did exactly what she asked them to do.
“You did the right thing,” Nocco told them, adding that deputies who heard the 911 call were struck by the children’s bravery and composure.
He said the community and local agencies would work to ensure resources are available to the children as they prepare to return to school without their mother.
Gualtieri described the deaths as a horrific and inexplicable act stemming from what authorities described as an on-again, off-again and tumultuous relationship.
“There is no reason to have a permanent solution to a temporary problem,” Gualtieri said.
He said whatever problems existed between Savetz and the woman did not justify what occurred.
Gualtieri also emphasized that Savetz’s status as a deputy did not lessen the seriousness of his actions.
Nocco similarly stated that once Savetz committed the crime, he was no longer acting as a law enforcement officer but as a criminal.
Investigators said there was no initial indication that Savetz intended to physically harm the children, but both sheriffs emphasized that his actions placed them in danger and left them without their mother.
Authorities said the immediate confrontation may have been sparked by the dispute over the television, although investigators believe the circumstances were part of broader relationship problems.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information is expected to be released as detectives establish a more complete timeline of the incident.