News and Investigations

News & Investigations

News Releases and Public Information

Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.

PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Meghan Petty. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.

The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.

Nov 22, 2024

Polk County Sheriff's Office provides graveside ceremony and headstone for recently solved cold case homicide victim

Media Contact: Meghan Petty, PIO

Polk Sheriff's Charities, Inc., and Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home are providing a proper service and burial at Lakeside Memorial Park for homicide victim Mack Lavelle Proctor, whose identity and murder were recently solved by PCSO Homicide detectives after he was murdered on May 17, 1972, over 52 years ago.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office will hold the memorial service and graveside ceremony on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at the cemetery located at 2450 US Hwy 17 North in Winter Haven.

When the homicide occurred 52 years ago, the victim was unidentified and buried in a pauper's grave. Thanks to the excellent work of the PCSO Cold Case Homicide Unit, specifically lead detective Jason McPherson, and Detective Matthew Newbold, who used advanced forensic genetic genealogy, the victim was positively identified as Mack Proctor of Georgia. The detectives were also able to positively identify the two suspects who murdered Mr. Proctor - both suspects are no longer living. Please click here to read the news release about how the PCSO Homicide Unit solved this case.

A PCSO chaplain will conduct the service, and Sheriff Grady Judd will speak at the event. The Homicide detectives who solved the case are honored to be pallbearers and will return Mr. Proctor to his final resting place with dignity. We appreciate Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home and Lakeside Memorial Park for their partnership and commitment to respectfully interring Mr. Proctor.

Mr. Proctor's son is 77 years old and lives in Georgia, and unfortunately is not well enough to attend. At the time his father was killed, the family had reported him missing and never knew what happened to him, until the Sheriff's detectives solved this case.

"We can finally bring peace and closure to Mr. Proctor's family now that he has been identified due to the hard work of our detectives and DNA samples from his family. His son is finally at peace knowing what happened and where his father is located. Thanks to the citizens who donate to our charity, we will be able to properly memorialize Mr. Proctor as he respectfully deserves." - Grady Judd, Sheriff