Polk County Sheriff’s Phone# 863-298-6200
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Cold Case Homicides
From June 2008 until June 2019, the Polk County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit maintained a 100% clearance rate on all homicides investigated within the PCSO jurisdiction.
The two most recent unsolved homicides - those of Shay Collins in June 2019 and Alphonsa Payne in May 2020 - are listed here along with all other unsolved homicides back to 1961.
Our Cold Case Unit is dedicated to solving these homicides and bringing justice to these victims' families.
Can you help? Click the links below to view information about unsolved Polk County Homicides. Photos are included if available. If you have any information concerning an unsolved homicide, please contact the Bureau of Criminal Investigations at 863-298-6379 or send an email to coldcase@polksheriff.org.
Or to remain anonymous and be eligible for a CASH REWARD contact Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477). Anonymity is guaranteed!
Tan Johnson Brown AKA Brownell Johnson
Discovery Date: Apr 8, 1973
On April 8, 1973, 59-year-old Tan Johnson Brown, AKA Brownell Johnson, was found in his 1971 Ford LTD Sedan parked on a dirt road at Christina Park at the south side of Scott Lake, north of SR 540A in Lakeland. He was last seen on April 4, 1973, when he said he was going to the store. His cause of death was severe trauma to the left side of his head and strangulation.
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at (863) 298-6379, or send an email to coldcase@polksheriff.org.