Elwin Costine

Elwin “Larry” Costine was a 31-year-old male with a deep connection to the central Florida soil his family had ranched for generations. A true southern cowboy, Larry had spent his life around horses and cattle near Lakeland, Florida, taking his heritage seriously. From the age of two, he was on horseback, a passion that grew into a love for rodeos, where he became a local star in team roping. Friends and family remembered him as someone who worked hard and stayed out of trouble, but who could certainly handle himself if it came looking for him.

On the evening of Saturday, May 2, 1992, Larry attended a weekly rodeo in Dade City. He was accompanied by Melissa Jo Sermons, a woman who worked for Larry’s uncle, Earlow Costine, at the local livestock auction. The two were quietly dating, keeping their relationship under wraps as Larry had recently separated from his wife and Sermons had broken up with a boyfriend who was reportedly not taking the split well. That night, Larry and his partner won the team roping competition, splitting a $350 prize. After the rodeo, the couple went to breakfast with a friend before heading back to Larry’s mobile home, arriving around 4:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 3.

What happened inside the trailer after their arrival remains a mystery. When Melissa Jo, known as Jo, didn't return home, her mother grew worried and contacted Earlow Costine. It was then that Larry's uncle first learned of the relationship. He tried calling Larry’s home, but there was no answer. The next morning, Monday, May 4, when Jo failed to show up for work, Earlow drove to his nephew's trailer. He found Larry’s truck parked outside and could hear a radio playing within. After his knocks went unanswered, a terrible feeling and an unusual smell convinced him something was horribly wrong.

Inside, Larry Costine was found deceased on his bedroom floor. He had been shot multiple times with a handgun, including twice in the head. The bed had not been slept in, and there were no signs of a struggle, forced entry, or robbery. However, one of Larry’s own firearms was missing from the home. Of Melissa Jo Sermons, there was no trace. She had vanished, and her disappearance has been considered a result of foul play ever since.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office launched a major investigation. Initially, suspicion fell on Sermons's ex-boyfriend, who had reportedly been following her, but he provided an alibi that cleared him. Investigators then considered the possibility that something had happened between Larry and Jo inside the trailer, leading detectives to believe she was involved in the murder, either as the perpetrator or a witness who fled. Her family and Larry’s uncle, however, believed she was another victim. Earlow Costine theorized that someone jealous of Larry's relationship with Jo was waiting for them and that Jo was likely taken at gunpoint and killed later.

Over the years, there have been reported sightings of a woman matching Sermons's description at truck stops in Florida, Texas, and Kansas, with some witnesses claiming they saw her driving a big-rig hauling livestock. Authorities considered the sightings credible, but her family remained skeptical, believing she would have tried to contact them if she were alive. In a later development, Danny Wayne Cerezo, another former boyfriend of Sermons, was indicted for allegedly lying to a grand jury regarding the case.

The double mystery of Larry Costine’s murder and Melissa Jo Sermons’s disappearance is an active cold case with the Polk County Sheriff's Office. As of May 2024, no one has been charged with the homicide. A cash reward is available through Heartland Crime Stoppers for anonymous information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with knowledge about the case is urged to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6379 or Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-888-400-TIPS (8477).