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Polk Sheriff: Triple murder suspect found after an hours-long manhunt

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Posted at 1:00 PM, Oct 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-04 16:11:03-04

DAVENPORT, Fla. — The Polk County sheriff says the man responsible for killing three people has been arrested on Saturday, October 2.

Two people were killed Saturday morning and one person died at the hospital, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The suspect was identified as Shaun Runyon, 39. The sheriff says he punched his supervisor then ran away from work at an electrical company.

Runyon allegedly stabbed and beat several people inside a house with a knife and baseball bat. There are seven total victims. Sheriff Judd says Runyon knew all of the victims and they were either coworkers or family of coworkers.

Sheriff Grady Judd says Runyon was captured after a several-hour manhunt. He showed up 3 hours after the killings at a house in Lake Wales where he allegedly told a family he had been raped and was covered in blood.

He was taken to a local hospital where deputies found and arrested him.

According to Sheriff Judd, Runyon confessed multiple times to the murders during interviews with the detectives.

Runyon also told detectives he was raped by his colleagues and that is why he killed them, Sheriff Judd said. He told detectives he hated them.

A sexual battery test was given to Runyon, however, the results failed to confirm his allegation, Sheriff Judd said.

Runyon's prior criminal history includes out-of-state charges for strangulation, endangering the welfare of a child, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering, assault, theft by unlawful taking, theft of lost property, receiving stolen property, DUI, and careless driving.

Runyon has been charged with 3 counts of First Degree Murder and one count of Aggravated Battery.