Where’s Tonya Whipp? Police search home of missing woman’s boyfriend who was in prison for attempted murder
AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The search for missing Auburndale woman Tonya Whipp continued Wednesday as police searched her boyfriend’s home.
According to Lt. John Cruz with the Auburndale Police Department, officers executed a search warrant on the property located at 1018 Caroline Avenue.
Cruz said investigators arrived at the home around 6:30 a.m. and said Whipp's boyfriend, Russell Carroll, currently lives at the residence, along with his brother.
Investigators say Whipp lived at the home with the boyfriend before she went missing.
Pictured: Tonya Whipp. Courtesy: Auburndale Police Department.
Whipp was reported missing in late June, but her family says they hadn’t seen her since May.
Carroll told FOX 13 that investigators dug up his backyard and took all of his electronic devices, including cell phones and computers, though he said they won't find anything incriminating.
He said he and Whipp knew each other for years before they became an official couple after he got out of prison in January. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, he served 20 years for attempted first-degree murder.
Tonya Whipp's boyfriend Russell Carroll.
"We were planning on moving from here," Carroll said. "Saving up money and moving back to Venice where she's from. She just came here for me to help get myself together from being incarcerated for so long."
Although Whipp hasn't been seen or heard from since late May, she wasn't actually reported missing until June 29. Carroll said he last saw Tonya before he went to work at the end of May, and when he came home, she was gone.
Law enforcement outside Tonya Whipp's boyfriend's home.
"I don’t know why she’s doing this," Carroll said. "I don’t know where she went or where she’d go. It’s just out of character. Out of the blue for her. She’s done stuff like this in the past, but not for this long."
Carroll explained to FOX 13 that he didn't report her missing initially because he said she had gone away with no contact before.
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"I have absolutely nothing to do with Tonya’s disappearance or anything," Carroll said. "I just got out of prison and now you go missing so what am I to do? Everybody's looking at me like I did something to you. People think I hurt her or this or that. It's none of that. She just disappeared."
Tonya Whipp's family members and her boyfriend Russell Carroll talk while law enforcement search his home.
Whipp's family searched for months through orange groves and woods to bring her home, and they were hoping this search warrant would bring some answers.
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"This isn't like Tonya. She never would've just walked away. Not in a million years. We know that somebody knows something, and somebody needs to come forward," said Lisa Textor, Tonya's aunt.
Carroll says he doesn't know where she is but hopes for her safe return as well.
Law enforcement officers stand outside the home of Tonya Whipp's boyfriend where a search warrant was executed on Wednesday.
"I just miss her and want her found and want her home. Just like everybody else does," he said.
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Family members say Whipp had just moved back to the Auburndale area to be closer to them before she disappeared, leaving behind her beloved dog, car and purse.
In late July, law enforcement officers were seen focusing in on a trailer in the area of Indiana Court and Rose Street in Auburndale.
Pictured: FDLE search behind mobile home park on Rose Street. Investigators confirmed it was connected to Tonya Whipp's case.
"We Are the Essentials", a group that searches for missing people, has been focused on Whipp's case, 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.
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Neighbors said flyers pleading for information on Whipp's whereabouts have been posted around town. Intrigue has grown, given her car and other prized possessions have been found nearby.
Vigil held for 'missing endangered' Polk County woman
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.
Heartland Crime Stoppers is offering up a $4,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.
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If you know anything about where Whipp is, Auburndale Police urge you to call them. The Auburndale Police Department said Detectives Chris Wall and Kevin Seymour can be reached at (863) 965-5555.
If you would like to remain anonymous, call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477.