Missing 21-year-old presumed dead after blood found at friend’s home, Florida cops say

A 21-year-old who went missing nearly a month ago is presumed dead after a “significant amount of blood” was found at his best friend’s home, Florida law enforcement said.

His body hasn’t been found, but two men have been arrested in connection with his death, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a June 3 news conference.

“We have every reason to believe at this point that Ethan Fussell is a victim of murder,” Judd said.

Fussell was staying with a 25-year-old man, who he called his best friend and ”brother,” when the two got into an argument, deputies said. Fussell was last heard from May 7 and hasn’t been seen since, according to authorities.

Investigators said they searched the Lakeland home where Fussell was staying and found a “significant amount of blood” and evidence of attempts to clean up a crime scene.

The blood has now been identified as Fussell’s, Judd said.

On June 2, Fussell’s 25-year-old best friend was arrested, alongside another 21-year-old man who lived in the home, according to the sheriff’s office. Both are charged with accessory after the fact of a capital felony and destroying/tampering with evidence, Judd said.

The sheriff encouraged anyone with information to come forward. The investigation is ongoing.

Fussell’s family described him as a “smart, hardworking and loyal man” but who didn’t keep in touch with his family much these days.

“So while we don’t know a lot about his recent life, we KNOW who he’s been most of his life and who he is at his core,” his mom wrote on Facebook. “He’s survived so much trauma in the past. We pray he survives this and comes home soon.”

Lakeland is a 35-mile drive east from downtown Tampa.