Elwin “Larry” Costine was last seen around 4:AM on May 3, 1992, when he and Melissa Jo Sermons dropped a friend off after having been to a rodeo together the night before. He and Melissa Jo Sermons were reportedly dating. On May 5, 1992, Costine's nude body was discovered inside the bedroom of his unlocked trailer home at 12636 Moore Road in Lakeland, Florida. He had been shot multiple times and one of his handguns was missing. There were no signs of a struggle or a robbery at the scene. His bed had not been slept in, and court documents suggest police believe there was some manner of staging at the scene.

At the time Costine was discovered, there was no sign of Melissa Jo Sermons at his residence, and she has never been found.

If you have any information about the murder of Larry Costine and disappearance of Melissa Jo Sermons, you can contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigations at 863-298-6379 or send an email to [email protected].

You can contact me at [email protected] with information about this case or any of the cases I’ve covered on Down and Away, and if you have Florida case you think needs attention, feel free to email me or send a direct message via Facebook.

Music this season, courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions