Auburndale Police complete search of suspect's home in Tonya Whipp's disappearance

Lakeland Ledger
·1 min read
Officers with the Auburndale Police Department began to search Saturday at a house on Caroline Avenue where Tonya Whipp previously lived with Russell Carroll.
Officers with the Auburndale Police Department began to search Saturday at a house on Caroline Avenue where Tonya Whipp previously lived with Russell Carroll.

The Auburndale Police Department completed its search Tuesday of the residence of Russell Carroll, a suspect in the disappearance of his former girlfriend, Tonya Whipp.

The department issued a brief statement offering no details about what officers might have found during the four-day search of the small house at 1018 Caroline Ave. The investigation into Whipp’s disappearance is ongoing and remains active, Auburndale PD said in a news release.

Whipp, 39, was last seen about a year ago. Auburndale police have said that they now consider her a likely homicide victim. Officers arrested Carroll last week, charging him with criminal use of personal identification information and grand theft, both felonies.

Tonya Whipp of Auburndale has been missing for about a year. Her romantic partner, Russell Carroll, has been arrested and charged with using her bank account information to make multiple cash withdrawals.
Tonya Whipp of Auburndale has been missing for about a year. Her romantic partner, Russell Carroll, has been arrested and charged with using her bank account information to make multiple cash withdrawals.

The arrest affidavit cited bank records, surveillance video and other evidence that allegedly showed Carroll repeatedly withdrew money from Whipp’s bank account from July 2023 through March 2024.

Carroll remained in the South County Jail in Frostproof on Tuesday. He is being held on bond of $35,000.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Police finish search of Auburndale home in missing woman case