FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — The Fort Pierce Police Department identified the elderly couple found dead inside their Harbour Isle at Hutchinson Island condominium Tuesday as 85-year-old Philip Repaci Sr. and 80-year-old Joan Repaci, both residents of Fort Pierce.
Additionally, police said their son, 55-year-old Philip Repaci Jr., is now a suspect in their deaths. The deaths were deemed suspicious, and officers secured the gated community while processing the scene. According to Fort Pierce Police, Repaci is a former New York City Police Officer.
It appears the son lived in the same community as his parents and he made headlines in the New York City newspapers after a fall from grace from the NYPD. He was accused of stealing union checks and bribing a witness.
As we were trying to learn more about his background, we found out he went public with a story about being the victim of child abuse at the hands of a baseball coach when he was a boy.
“We have a family that is completely devastated by the occurrences from yesterday, and we are working through this system to try and be able to put all the pieces together of this puzzle to be clear and have some clarity for the family so that they understand what actually transpired,” said Maj. Mike Santiago, Fort Pierce Police.
Police responded to the residence around 12:30 p.m. on February 24, after the couple’s daughter requested a welfare check when the couple missed a scheduled appointment. Officers discovered the pair in the living room area with gunshot wounds.
“What they saw was two individuals that were suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The area itself indicated a sense of a struggle. There was some sort of struggle that occurred in that immediate area,” Maj. Santiago said.
According to investigators, their adult son left the scene prior to police arrival. A BOLO was issued, and he was later located and detained by the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
Bodycam video shows IRCSO deputies closing in and arresting Repaci.
Following his detention, Philip Repaci Jr. was formally booked into the Indian River County Jail later that night. According to booking records, he was arrested on February 24 at 11:43 p.m. According to jail records, Repaci is being held on $150,000 bond and faces a charge of fleeing/attempting to elude a police officer. His arraignment is scheduled for April 8. His listed address is 6 Harbour Isle E Drive, Fort Pierce, the same community where his parents were found deceased.
February 25, 2026 – Investigators identified Fort Pierce residents Philip and Joan Repaci as the victims in a Harbour Isle double homicide and named their son, Philip Repaci—later arrested in Indian River County on a fleeing charge—as a person of interest after he allegedly left the scene before officers arrived, prompting an active investigation into the motive behind the deadly shooting. (IRC Jail){ }
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Fort Pierce Police emphasize that this appears to be an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public. Detectives continue to piece together the timeline leading up to the deadly shooting as the investigation remains active.
Ft. Pierce Police say Repaci is not speaking to detectives.
“He’s unwilling to cooperate with anything that has to do with yesterday’s incident. It’s reasonable to believe that we now can classify him as a suspect in the case,” Maj. Santiago said.
Police say witnesses place Repaci at the crime scene and he’s believed to be the last one to see his parents alive.
“We have not charged him because we are working with the state to ensure that we are doing this exactly the way it’s supposed to be done so that we can avoid revictimizing anyone,” said Maj. Santiago.
“Would you say, if you’re close to charging him with the two counts of first degree murder?” we asked. “We’re not close to anything. We have to allow the investigation to pan out,” Maj. Santiago explained.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Fort Pierce Police Department at 772-467-6800 or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-TIPS (8477), or submit an online tip at www.tccrimestoppers.org. You may remain anonymous.