22-year-old suspect indicted in two Lakeland murders from 2020
LAKELAND, Fla. - A Lakeland man has been indicted for the murders of two people from nine months ago that investigators did not immediately realize were even related.
Ladevon Cottingham had just gotten out of prison last June. Investigators say he went to a Circle K on Kathleen Road one night and randomly targeted one of the employees, Ricky Kimball.
They say Cottingham robbed the 65-year-old and then killed him. His body was found in a wooded area two days later.
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Right after that murder, Cottingham allegedly called someone he knew, Takeria Adderly, and asked if she would get rid of the body. When the 22-year-old refused, detectives say he killed her too.
Adderly’s remains were found hidden in heavy vegetation on July 29, 2020. Her family reported her missing on June 30. At the time, they had a person of interest, but it wasn’t Cottingham.
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Dozens of relatives of Takeria Adderly spoke out after the man accused of killing her was indicted for two murders.
"Just know she was an amazing young lady," said Adderly’s grandmother, Brenda McClain. "She would go and she would help anyone. That’s who she was. At the drop of a dime, you see, she went and she tried to help someone. They didn’t appreciate her help and instead, they took her life."
The Polk Sheriff’s Office was investigating one murder. The Lakeland Police Department was tracking the other. When the two agencies began comparing notes, DNA evidence, and looking at cell phone records, it all began to make sense.
Cottingham, they say, was responsible for both.
"So make no mistake about it, this guy is absolutely a predator," said Assistant Chief of the Lakeland Police Department, Sam Taylor, Jr.
After the murders, Taylor says Cottingham did a home invasion, stole a car and drove to Fort Myers. Investigators say he was found without most of his clothes, wandering around in just his underwear.
Photo via PCSO
"He probably had blood on the clothing from the homicides," explained Taylor.
Cottingham was arrested and taken back to Polk County where he has been in jail.
The 22-year-old faces two counts of first-degree murder and a number of other charges. He's been in custody since August.