What's happening near Driggers Road? Sheriff's Office looking for 21-year-old Lakeland man

Paul Nutcher, Lakeland Ledger
Updated ·1 min read
The Polk County Sheriff's Office is involved in two separate investigations involving the area of Driggers Road and Tom Costine Road in North Lakeland. In one, 21-year-old Ethan Fussell was last seen in the are on May 7. In another, a woman was found dead last week. The Sheriff's Office does not believe the cases are related.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office is involved in two separate investigations involving the area of Driggers Road and Tom Costine Road in North Lakeland. In one, 21-year-old Ethan Fussell was last seen in the are on May 7. In another, a woman was found dead last week. The Sheriff's Office does not believe the cases are related.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a Lakeland man who has been missing in North Lakeland since May 7, a sheriff’s spokeswoman confirmed.

Ethan Fussell, 21, was last seen in the Driggers Road area near Tom Costine Road north of Lakeland after leaving a friend's house. He is 5 feet, 7 inches and about 150 pounds with brown hair and eyes.

The Sheriff’s Office posted a missing-person notice to its Facebook page on Wednesday. Members of the online crime-watch groups say a heavy police presence has been seen in the Driggers Road area and that detectives were going door to door on Mother’s Day to try to find him.

When asked via email if there were any new developments, Carrie Horstman, a media relations administrator for the Sheriff’s Office said, “We are still seeking tips (anonymous via Crimestoppers or otherwise) on his whereabouts, and nobody has been arrested regarding his disappearance.”

Regarding the posts on Facebook about a woman’s body and possibly a second body found in the Driggers Road area, Horstman said, “We did work a death investigation there last week of an adult female and her autopsy is pending toxicology – her death does not appear to be suspicious. There is nothing on our dispatch screen about a second body found.”

The Sheriff's Office has not identified the woman.

Contact Heartland CrimeStoppers at 800-226-TIPS (800-226-8477) or www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Two investigations on Driggers Road: A missing man and a woman's death