A man who police say may be a serial killer was killed last month by a 67-year-old Port St. He is being held for the murder of a St. Lucie man.

Omarion Ivory, 18, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder and armed robbery in the Sept. 8 slaying of Francis Gennace at his home in the 1000 block of Southeast Albatross Boulevard.

But Gennace’s body was not found four days later, on September 12, when his employer called the police after Gennace did not show up for work for several days.

At a press conference on Thursday, Port St. Deputy Police Chief Leo Niemczyk of the St. Lucie Police Department said Ivory, who did not know Gennace, knocked on the victim’s door on Sept. 8.

When Gennace answered, Niemczyk said Ivory hit the 67-year-old with a hammer, then stabbed him to death.

“The victim had blunt force trauma to the head and multiple stab wounds. Approximately 45 stab wounds,” Niemczyk said. “Our theory is that he uses (the hammer) to knock the victim unconscious, then stabs him.”

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Ivory was spotted 12 days later, on September 20, by a vigilant Port St. resident reviewing surveillance video from Albatross Boulevard. Lucie was caught when the police detective connected the dots and saw Ivory trying to break into another house in another part of town.

Police responded immediately to this address and took Ivory into custody. Niemczyk said he still has the hammer used in Gennace’s killing.

Niemczyk added that Gennace’s murder was completely random and that police believe Ivory was preparing to commit a second murder on a second random victim when he was captured on September 20.

“We may be after an unspecified serial killer,” Niemczyk said. “This is pretty unusual for us. We haven’t seen many of these in Port St. Lucie. It was pretty concerning.”

Niemczyk added that the hammer in Ivory’s hand still had Gennace’s blood on it.

“From September 12 to September 20, was this person walking freely in the city?” WFLX News reporter Tyler Hatfield asked Niemczyk during Thursday’s press conference.

“That’s true. That’s why it’s so concerning,” Niemczyk replied, adding that there were no other homicides in Port St. Lucie during that time period.

Ivory’s family said he suffered from schizophrenia and had been subject to the Baker Act multiple times in the past, meaning he had to undergo a mandatory mental health evaluation when he was believed to be a danger to himself or others, according to Niemczyk.

In addition to first-degree murder and armed burglary, Ivory faces other charges including burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand larceny, possession of burglary tools and loitering or prowling. St. He is being held without bail in the St. Lucie County Jail.

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