Scott Mitchell: Manhunt for alleged New York double murder suspect ends in Florida, officials say | FOX 35 Orlando
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Scott Mitchell: Manhunt for alleged New York double murder suspect ends in Florida, officials say

By
Updated  February 12, 2025 2:24pm EST
Volusia County
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • A man accused of killing two people in New York was arrested in Florida by Volusia County deputies on Wednesday.
    • Authorities learned of Mitchell's location after receiving a tip.
    • The person that provided the tip which led to Mitchell's arrest will receive a $10,000 reward.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A multi-state search for a man suspected of killing two people in Binghamton, New York has ended near a McDonald's in Florida, where the man was captured and taken into custody.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said Scott Mitchell, 50, had been detained and taken into custody at a McDonald's in Daytona Beach. The sheriff's office shared a photo of Mitchell being taken into custody.

"Double murder suspect Scott Mitchell is in custody in Daytona Beach. The person who called in the tip just earned $10,000," VSO said in a Facebook post.

Who is Scott Mitchell, suspect in deaths of 2 men in New York?

The backstory:

Scott Mitchell, 50, is wanted in connection to the deaths of two men in New York – Daniel McCloe and Marshall VanOven, who were found dead last week at a home in Binghamton, New York. He was spotted in South Carolina, and then most recently in Florida, according to local authorities.

Law enforcement warned that he was considered a serious threat and armed and dangerous.

Timeline:

  • On Feb. 3, Daniel McCloe, 58, and Marshall VanOven, 55, were reported missing in Binghamton, New York. On Feb. 5, both men were found dead inside a home and police opened a homicide investigation into their deaths, according to Binghamton Police Department Captain Cory Minor.

Police identified a potential suspect as Scott Mitchell.

  • On Feb. 8, the Dorchester County, South Carolina Sheriff's Office posted on social media that it had found a suspicious vehicle in Dorchester that was connected to Mitchell. Deputies warned that Mitchell was considered to be armed and dangerous, and a serious threat.
  • On Feb. 11, the Volusia Sheriff's Office said in posts on social media that it was also looking for Mitchell, who was at the time, believed to be in the West DeLand area. VSO said it had recovered a vehicle connected to Mitchell and believed that he was now on foot.

VSO later updated the post to include additional details about Mitchell's appearance, including a update that he had shaved his beard. 

  • Shortly after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, VSO said Mitchell had been found and arrested at a McDonald's in Daytona Beach after someone from the public called in a tip.

Volusia County Sheriff to suspects: Do not come to Florida

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood has a clear message to potential criminals:  "You're going to kill people. You don't want to come to this state, and you don't want to come to this county, because we're going to send your (expletive) right back to where it belongs."

NY double murder suspect captured in Florida: Press conference

Scott Mitchell, a suspect in a double murder investigation in Binghamton, New York, was arrested Wednesday in Daytona Beach, Florida, after an alert citizen noticed him, Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said. Not much about the investigation itself has been released from New York law enforcement. Sheriff Chitwood said he didn't have a lot of information either.

Sheriff Chitwood said earlier Wednesday an employee with AT&T reportedly noticed a man panhandling and realized it was Mitchell, the suspect law enforcement was looking for. Earlier Wednesday, VSO upped the reward amount to $10,000 for info leading to the arrest of Mitchell.

"The person who called in the tip just earned $10,000," VSO said in their Facebook post.

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General view of the area near a McDonald's in Daytona Beach, Florida, where a wanted suspect, Scott Mitchell, was detained.

Sheriff Chitwood said detectives with the Binghampton (New York) Police Department were on their way to Florida. Mitchell had not said much to detectives, Chitwood said.

Eventually, the suspect would be extradicted back to New York, he said.

VIDEO: Here's the moment Scott Mitchell found, detained by Florida deputies

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The Source: This story was written based on information from the Binghamton, New York Police Department and Volusia Sheriff's Office.

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