On May 16, 1997, 61-year-old Murray “Hoppy” Delong was found dead in front of his storage shed located at 911 Munn Avenue in Lakeland. Delong had been shot one time in the upper chest. A larger projectile had gone through the door and was recovered from the storage shed.  

Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit at (863) 298-6379, or send an email to coldcase@polksheriff.org.