AUBURNDALE, Fla. — Auburndale police executed a search warrant Saturday at the home of Russell Carroll, who officials say was the boyfriend of Tonya Whipp.

Whipp is presumed dead by police and was reported missing last June.

What You Need To Know

  • Russell Carroll is now in custody on unrelated charges of taking money out of Tonya Whipp's bank accounts after she was reported missing.

  • Police searched Carroll's home for hours today but did not release any information about what they were looking for  

  • Police have closed Whipp's missing persons case and presume she is dead 

Police arrived at the house with a skid steer equipped with a root grappler. They would not discuss what they were searching for, but said information since Carroll’s arrest Tuesday led them to the home.

Carroll is currently being held on $35,000 bond, accused of impersonating Whipp to steal money from her bank accounts after she was reported missing.

Carroll has maintained his innocence, but police said in Whipp’s final missing persons report that he was the only suspect in the homicide investigation.

Police spent hours searching Carroll’s property with Whipp’s family sitting outside the scene waiting for information.

While Whipp is presumed dead and her missing persons case is closed, her body has still not been found.

We are the Essentials, an independent search and recovery group, has been working with the family since last summer to find Whipp.

“We searched field after field,” said co-found Billy Lane. “We searched ravine through roadsides, pretty much any area we could think of that we could connect back to either to Tonya or one of her associates.”

Police refused to talk publicly about the search warrant, saying they would only comment if something of significance was discovered.

At the same time Carroll’s home was being searched, prosecutors were working to increase Carroll’s bond, arguing he is a flight risk, and if he makes bond, that he should be confined at his home as the investigation continues.