POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Four Lakeland residents have been arrested in the death of a missing man who the Polk County Sheriff’s Office says was “brutally murdered” and whose body is still unaccounted for.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd at a news conference on Monday announced that the missing persons case surrounding Ethan Fussell, 21, was henceforth considered a homicide. During the conference, Judd said two arrests had so far been made in the case, that of Talon Page, 25, and Adonai Rivera, 21. Fussell was first reported missing to the sheriff’s office on May 7.
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Page and Rivera — who were caught after investigators received a tip that they were at a house in Mulberry — were both arrested on Sunday and initially charged with accessory after the fact of a capital felony and destroying/tampering with evidence, the sheriff’s office said.
Beyond Page and Rivera, Polk County deputies have also since arrested their respective girlfriends: Autumn Thomas, 25, and Crystal Droweingo, 23. Thomas was initially arrested on Tuesday to face charges of giving false information to a law enforcement officer during a capital felony, tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact of a capital felony. Droweingo was arrested on Monday to face charges of giving false information to a law enforcement officer during a capital felony and tampering with evidence, later charged Tuesday with accessory after the fact of a capital felony, the sheriff’s office said.
Polk County detectives say they confirmed that Droweingo and Thomas were at Page’s residence on Driggers Road the night that Fussell disappeared. Thomas had reportedly lied about being there and had even contacted others, telling them to lie to detectives and helping Page avoid capture by letting him know that the sheriff’s office was looking for him. Droweingo on the other hand told detectives that she was asleep when Page and Rivera allegedly killed Fussell, otherwise aiding in the coverup by continually lying to investigators, according to the sheriff’s office.
During a search warrant on May 15, detectives said they saw that several large pieces of carpet in Page’s residence were missing and that they discovered a carpet cleaner that had blood residue matching Fussell’s. Tuesday, detectives said they were able to review previously-requested video evidence that had been recorded inside the residence and allegedly showed Fussell being severely beaten. The blood-stained carpet where the beating happened was later removed and disposed of by Page and Rivera, detectives said, adding the video also showed that Droweingo was not asleep during the time frame. The video was timestamped just 18 minutes after Fussell’s last text to his girlfriend, in which he stated he was going to sleep at Page’s residence, the sheriff’s office said.
Page and Rivera on Tuesday were charged with first-degree murder and two more counts of destroying/tampering with evidence, according to the sheriff’s office.
“We know now that Talon and Adonai brutally murdered Ethan Fussell, and they are being charged accordingly,” Judd said in a statement. “We still need the public’s help to find Ethan’s body and return him home to his grieving family. Please contact Heartland Crime Stoppers – you will remain totally anonymous and get a cash reward.”
Those with information on the whereabouts of Fussell’s body are urged to contact Heartland Crime Stoppers in one of four ways:
- CALL 1-888-400 TIPS (8477)
- DIAL **TIPS from your cellphone
- VISIT the website www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com and click on “Submit A Tip”
- DOWNLOAD the free “P3tips” app on your smartphone or tablet.
Heartland Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of Fussell’s body and any other arrests related to his death, the sheriff’s office said.
In an update Thursday, the sheriff’s office said that Page’s silver 2000 Lexus 400 — which investigators had also been looking for — was turned in at a district substation. Fussell’s body was still being sought at the time of that report.
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