In the summer of 2026, the life of 19-year-old Dustin Rose was tragically cut short in his hometown of Deland, Florida. A dedicated cadet at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, and a member of the South Carolina Army National Guard, Rose had returned to Deland for a somber reason: to support his childhood friend, 18-year-old Samson Campbell, as he scattered the ashes of a family dog. The two friends, both white males, were last seen together on the evening of July 29, 2026. Later that night, after family members were unable to reach them, one of their mothers used a phone tracking app to locate them. The search led to a grim discovery at a vacant industrial property at 213 West New York Avenue, where both young men were found deceased, having been shot multiple times.
The DeLand Police Department immediately launched an investigation into the double homicide. Within a day, investigators identified a person of interest through surveillance footage from the area. The investigation quickly focused on 17-year-old Keyan Rundell, a resident of DeLand who was acquainted with both victims. It is believed that Rose, Campbell, and Rundell had arranged to meet on the evening of the murders, and an altercation occurred that ended in the fatal shootings. A search warrant executed at a residence on August 1st yielded clothing and an e-bike that investigators believe Rundell wore and used on the night of the killings, as well as digital evidence of his movements after the incident.
Following the execution of the search warrant, Rundell fled the area, prompting a manhunt involving local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service. On August 5, 2026, Keyan Rundell was apprehended without incident at a Super 8 Motel in Ellenton, Florida, over 150 miles away from Deland. He was subsequently charged with two counts of second-degree murder. The investigation also led to the arrest of another individual, 41-year-old Daytron W. Etkins, who is Rundell's father. Etkins was taken into custody on August 7, 2026, and charged with felony accessory after the fact, with authorities alleging that he assisted his son in his attempt to evade law enforcement. While a definitive motive has not been publicly established, the case has brought to light Rundell's prior criminal history, which includes aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and firearms violations. The state attorney's office has indicated they will likely pursue adult charges against Rundell and are considering upgrading the charges against him. The investigation remains ongoing, with the possibility of additional arrests as authorities continue to examine whether others were involved in the crime or aided Rundell after the fact.
