Boyfriend of missing woman Tonya Whipp ‘only suspect’ in death investigation, documents say
POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Detectives are ramping up their search for a missing Auburndale woman as they approach the one-year mark when Tonya Whipp was last seen.
They spent the weekend executing a search warrant at her boyfriend’s home following his arrest last week.
Auburndale police searching Tonya Whipp’s boyfriend’s home for clues of her disappearance
While no “evidence of significant value” was found during their weekend search, new court documents are shedding light on the investigation.
The State of Florida is requesting a higher bond for Russell Carroll, the boyfriend of Tonya Whipp, who is accused of impersonating her and stealing from her bank account.
State prosecutors allege Carroll accessed her checking account “numerous times” since June 29, 2023, the day Whipp was reported missing by her sister.
The Auburndale Police Department’s missing persons investigation concluded that Whipp is dead and that her body was never recovered. Carroll is now considered “the only suspect in the homicide investigation.”
Boyfriend of missing woman, Tonya Whipp, arrested for accessing her financial accounts: police
They were living together at the time of her disappearance, but Carroll claimed he hadn’t seen her since May 26, 2023. However, Whipp wasn’t reported missing until her sister notified police the following month.
In court documents filed Friday, the state argued that Carroll is a flight risk and his bond should be increased. They also requested for him to be confined to house arrest if he bonds out of jail.
During the recent police interview, Carroll was “placed on notice by the detectives that he is the only suspect in the homicide investigation of Tonya Whipp.”
The pair began dating shortly after Carroll was released from prison in January 2023. He served time for attempted murder from 2004 to 2013.
‘We are losing hope’: Family, friends hold vigil for Tonya Whipp seven months after disappearance
In that case, the victim was his then-girlfriend, who was stabbed multiple times with a knife when Carroll was 16 years old.
He was arrested again in August 2013 for a parole violation and spent just under 10 years in prison before meeting Whipp.
On Monday morning, detectives will return to Carroll’s home to continue their search for evidence.
Whipp’s family will host a vigil at a park near Auburndale City Hall on Friday, May 24 at 6 p.m.
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