Suspects sought in deadly home invasion

Marion County sheriff's deputies need the public's help in solving a deadly home invasion that happened at a residence off of highway 225A.  Tamara Bedenbaugh, 57, was found dead inside her home on Monday afternoon. Investigators believe it started out as a home invasion after the suspect, or suspects, came in through the front door.

Chris Bernardin says she would stop by his BBQ stand located nearby. "She didn't deserve to go out like that, she was a very nice woman and it's very sad."

Deputies say the killer got away with money and jewelry.  "She was known to wear very expensive beautiful jewelry," said Marion County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Lauren Lettelier, of Bedenbaugh.  "She was known to wear very frequently a gold necklace, two gold tennis bracelets with emerald colored stones in them and an expensive gold wedding ring with large diamonds on it. We have not been able to locate those items."

"She never flashed that stuff here. She was always in jeans," Bernardin said. "So if she was doing yard work, she would grab a sandwich and something like that."

Investigators say Bedenbaugh's home is located near highways 27 and 225A in Ocala. They are asking for drivers to call them if they remember anything suspicious happening early Monday morning. "Anything out of the ordinary at that house or in that area that morning, we're hoping people will come forward and help us fill in the blanks here."

Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious on Monday morning between 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. off highway 225A is asked to call the Marion County Sheriff's Office.  A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the killer.