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!
Opal Williams
Discovery Date: Mar 9, 1977
On March 9, 1977, 21-year-old Opal Williams was found in a wooded area approximately 3/10 of a mile west of US Highway 27, south of K.O.A. Campground near Lake Wales. She was found laying face down and in a state of decomposition. Her cause of death was head trauma. Williams frequently left her home in Davenport and hitch-hiked to Avon Park Correctional Institution to visit her husband, who was an inmate there. She was also known to frequent truck stops on US Highway 27 to bum rides. At the time of her death, Williams had a small child that she left at her parent’s house.
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.