Missing Polk County woman considered endangered as community holds vigil
AUBURNDALE, Fla. - A Polk County woman who was last heard from in June is now being considered "missing endangered" by investigators.
Heartland Crime Stoppers and an anonymous donor are now offering a combined $4,000 reward for any information in the disappearance of 38-year-old Tonya Whipp.
The search for Whipp began intensifying last week as authorities with the Auburndale Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement were seen collecting evidence behind a mobile home park on Rose Street.
Pictured: Tonya Whipp. Courtesy: Auburndale Police Department.
"It’s really hard to think that we’re looking for our sister," Donna Martin, Tonya’s sister said. "Something's wrong. Yeah, something's very wrong. This is definitely not like Tonya."
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Whipp's sister, Robin Klotzbier, says messages to Whipp over Facebook went unanswered until she saw a suspicious message one day.
"She said, ‘I’m okay. When I want to talk, I’ll call you’. It didn’t sound like her, but I respected what she said and I just left it at that, Klotzbier said. "Couple days I gave her, she still read it, and then I said, ‘I’m getting worried now. I’m calling the cops’. And if I said that before, she would’ve been on the phone calling me."
The private search group "We Are the Essentials" has also been focusing in on Whipp's case for several weeks as her family has clamored for answers. They told Auburndale police they believe she was last in the area around Rose Street June 6 and may have been visiting a friend in one of the trailers.
PREVIOUS: Investigators search trailer that may be connected to Polk County woman’s disappearance
The group also hosted a vigil for Whipp Tuesday evening with dozens from the community joining.
They said she was last heard from between May 28 and June 1, and lives in the Auburndale area where she was last seen. Whipp is a white female, approximately 5'7" and has light brown hair, according to investigators.
"Not knowing if we’re going to find her," Martin said. "Hoping that if we find her, we’ll find her alive. But worried that we’re not… Please, give us something, so that we can get her back and that we can rest," Martin said.
"If you’re a true friend and you know something, please come forward. You say you love my sister. You say you care about my sister. If you know something, please help us find her," Klotzbier and her other sister Jenny Shelton, begged.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detectives Wall or Seymour at (863) 965-5555 or by emailing cwall@auburndalefl.com or kseymour@auburndalefl.com.
To remain anonymous, call Heartland Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-226-8477 or by clicking here.