Daytona Beach police have made an arrest following the tragic murder of a couple that attended Bike Week. Terry and Brendan Aultman sustained fatal stab wounds on March 6. Since then, police have been searching for the person responsible.
What to Know
- Police arrested Jean R. Macean, 32, for deaths of Aultmans
- Aultmans were on their way home from Daytona Bike Week-related events
- Daytona Beach police have obtained video evidence of who they believe is the suspect
Following some Daytona Beach Week events, 48-year-old Terry Aultman and 55-year-old Brendan Aultman rode their bikes home. Police believe that the suspect, 32-year-old Jean R. Macean followed them home before killing them. Investigators found the pair with slashes to their throats and stab wounds on their bodies. Police arrived on the scene at Riverview Boulevard and North Wild Olive Avenue around 2 a.m.
According to Daytona Beach police, they have obtained video of the person-of-interest-turned suspect which likely led to the ultimate arrest for the bike week murders.
Daytona Beach Chief of Police broke the news of the arrest on Twitter with a photo of Macean in handcuffs on the bed of a pickup truck. Overtop of his photo in bold, red lettering was “Captured!”
“I’m pleased to announce that we have arrested the man responsible for the murders of Brenda Aultman and Terry Aultman. Our thanks to @USMarshalsHQ, @OrangeCoSheriff and @OrlandoPolice for helping us bring Jean R. Macean into custody. More details shortly @DaytonaBchPD,” Young tweeted.
Public Responds to Daytona Bike Week Murder Arrest
While the public is glad that police are closer to solving the Daytona Bike Week murders, some don’t believe that posting a photo of the suspect or using the wording that Chief Young included in his tweet was appropriate. In the comments of the post, some users argued that the law defines a suspect as innocent until proven guilty. But the post seemed to condemn him of the crime already.
“My thoughts are with the family and grieving community,” one person wrote. “Though before we add a ‘captured’ to a person of interest’s image, shouldn’t the person be tried in court before they are deemed guilty? Is this action the standard for a person of interest?”
Another Twitter user agreed, “One is innocent until proven guilty in a COL [court of law]. it disturbs me when police officials make these kinds of statements.”
A third even provided a potential revision for the police chief’s announcement.
“This tweet should read ‘we have made an arrest of someone suspected of being responsible for the murders, everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty,'” they wrote.
