Jean Robert Macean has been arrested in the brutal murders of Terry and Brenda Aultman. According to police reports Terry and Brenda Aultman were riding their bikes in Daytona Beach when they were brutally stabbed by an assailant. Daytona Beach police announced today that Jean Robert Macean has been arrested in the double murder. Jean Robert Macean was arrested with help from the Orlando police. Police are still trying to figure out a motive for the brutal murders.
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Sara Turner stood inside the Daytona Beach Police Department on Thursday and, through tears, expressed her relief that police had arrested the man accused of killing her mother and stepfather as they headed home on bicycles Sunday from Bike Week.
Jean Robert Macean, 32, was arrested Thursday in Orlando and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said at the press conference.
There are still a lot of unknowns, including a motive for the attack that left Terry Aultman, 48, and Brenda Aultman, 55, dead early Sunday morning at the corner of Riverview Boulevard and North Wild Olive Avenue.
For Sara Turner it was like a horrible dream.
“I didn’t prepare to say anything, because this is a nightmare that I never expected could ever happen. This isn’t real. It doesn’t feel real,” she said.
“I lost my best friend, my mother was the most amazing caring, giving, loving selfless person in the world. And to top it off, she was as funny as could be, and so was her husband. They were both wonderful and happy and loving,” Turner said. “They didn’t deserve what happened to them and I just want to thank every single one of you for all the work you put in to help get this person off the street,” she said as she turned to look back at the officers standing behind her.
“I’m sorry, this is not a person, a monster, get this monster off of the streets so that nobody else would get hurt or have to deal with the pain and the destruction this has caused so many people’s lives that knew them,” Turner said.
“I just thank you guys so much and I really don’t know what else to say, but please just keep our family in your thoughts and prayers and that’ll be, that’ll be it. Thank you.”
Jean Robert Macean will have his first appearance before a judge in Orlando on Friday.
Police said the couple suffered multiple stab wounds and lacerations.
The murders shocked a community and frightened residents who worried about running into the killer on the street.
Young said he wanted to tell residents that everyone could relax some now that the perpetrator was in jail.
“But the main purpose for this press conference today is to inform the residents of this city and the visitors of this city, that the suspect responsible for committing these heinous crimes is in custody, in hopes that everyone can now breathe a sigh of relief,” Young said.
Young said detectives in Orlando were interviewing Macean, but he did not have information yet about what they learned. Young said Jean Robert Macean had made a statement.
Young also said he could not share some details about the investigation; while he said some evidence was recovered, he could not be more specific.
Young thanked his team of detectives and police officers for working hard on the case. He also thanked other agencies for their help: the U.S. Marshals Service, the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Young said that Brenda and Terry Aultman had done all they could to keep themselves safe. They weren’t drinking and driving. They rode their bicycles to Bike Week on Main Street. They stuck together as a couple.
“And yet and still, they were attacked and they were murdered. And this is just a reminder of just the evil that exists in our society today,” Young said.
Young said he still believed the attack was random and investigators haven’t determined a motive.
“At this point in time, we still do not have a motive so … it’s still a random, senseless act of violence that should have never occurred,” Young said.
Young said Jean Robert Macean arrived by bus on Saturday in Daytona Beach and departed on Sunday by unknown means.
He said he could not comment on Macean’s mental health history, but said Macean had a minimal criminal history of one felony arrest and two misdemeanor arrests, all drug-related.
Young said he did not have a timeline for when Macean would be returned to Volusia County.
Macean was arrested about 11 a.m. Thursday in Orlando, according to a press release.
Macean was arrested less than 24 hours after Daytona Beach Police offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to arrest in the Aultmans’ murders. Police will make a determination on the reward once they finish reviewing the tips, a press release stated.
In response to a question about what moved Jean Robert Macean from person of interest to being charged and arrested in the killings, Young referred to video.
“Reviewing all of that surveillance video, it kind of painted a picture for us to where we were able to determine that he was our suspect,” Young said.
