HUMAN REMAINS IDENTIFIED AS MISSING WOMAN; ONE ARRESTED FOR HOMICIDE
July 15, 2022
WALTON COUNTY, Fla— Human remains located inside Point Washington State Forest are believed to be that of 37-year-old Tara Deaton.
Dagan Blake Boring, 24, of Santa Rosa Beach has been arrested and charged with her murder.
Deaton was reported missing out of Kentucky in June just two weeks after her vehicle, a gray Lexus coupe, was involved in a hit-and-run on County Highway 30a.
The following day, May 24th, the vehicle was found in a wooded area about two miles from the crash. The car was impounded and brought to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office where a search warrant revealed blood in the trunk.
Investigators attempted to locate Deaton and interviewed numerous family and friends. After an exhaustive search, investigators were led to Boring, who is believed to have been in a relationship with Deaton at the time of her disappearance.
Boring was located at a convenience store in Fort Walton Beach on July 14th and later led investigators to the location of Deaton’s body inside Point Washington State Forest.
He was arrested for homicide and booked into the Walton County Jail where he received no bond at first appearance.
Walton County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the following agencies who assisted in this investigation; The District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Kentucky State Police, and the State Attorney’s Office.
In addition, we’d like to thank the friends and family of Tara Deaton who were critical to the resolution of this case.
“This is not the ending we hoped for,” said Sheriff Michael Adkinson. “But, with a successful prosecution we hope to bring some closure to Tara’s loved ones.”