Missing Lakeland man was murdered, Sheriff Grady Judd says

Sara Filips
·2 min read
4

LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced Monday that a missing persons case in Lakeland is now a murder investigation.

Two men with ties to 21-year-old Ethan Fussell’s disappearance were arrested, according to court records. Adonai Moran Rivera, 21, and Talon Page, 25, were both charged with destroying/tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact of a capital felony.

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Fussell was reported missing on May 13 when his girlfriend had not heard from him since May 7. He was last seen after an argument with someone on Driggers Road in Lakeland. Judd said the home is known to neighbors as a place with drug activity.

Fussell had been living with Page for seven months at the time of his disappearance, according to a PCSO arrest report. Judd said Fussell was “a good kid” with no arrest history who fell in with the wrong crowd.

In a news conference Monday, Judd said detectives positively identified blood found on furniture at the home as Fussell’s. Detectives noted a section of carpet was cut out and removed from the living room, the arrest report stated.

Judd previously referred to Rivera and Page as “persons of interest” because they were the last people seen with Fussell before his disappearance. The sheriff’s office had warrants out for their arrests in late May.

Page was arrested after altering his appearance, telling investigators he did it to evade arrest, according to PCSO. Riviera, who was recently released from prison, was arrested after walking out of a home wearing a full mask.

Neither suspect has been charged with Fussell’s murder, but Judd said more charges will be coming as detectives investigate. Neither suspect is cooperating with deputies.

Heartland Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information on the location of Ethan Fussell’s body and any other information related to his death. Contact Crime Stoppers by calling 1-888-400-TIPS, dialing **TIPS from a cell phone, or by visiting the Heartland Crime Stoppers website.

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