Two brothers and a woman have been arrested in connection with the “massacre” of three best friends Who embarked on a fishing trip to a central Florida lake last week, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Wednesday. One of the suspects, Tony “TJ” Wiggins, 26, had previously been charged with 230 serious crimes and had been constantly arrested since he was 12 years old, Judd said.
“He is pure evil in the flesh,” said the sheriff.
His brother William Robert Wiggins, 21, and his girlfriend Mary Whittemore, 27, were also arrested. The three suspects are scheduled to make their first court appearance at 1 p.m. Thursday, reports CBS affiliate WTSP.
WTSP
Investigators interviewed the three suspects and said their stories were “inconsistent and contradictory.” Neither Tony Wiggins nor Mary Whittemore are cooperating with detectives, police said.
They are charged in the shooting and hitting of Damion Tillman, 23; Keven Springfield, 30; and Brandon Rollins, 27; Friday night when they met on a remote boat ramp on Lake Streety near Frostproof.
Judd, who has worked at the agency since 1972, called the crime scene “horrible” and described the deaths as a “massacre.” He said the men were beaten and “shot”.
“I have been to many murder scenes in my life, and this is among the worst,” Judd said during a press conference on Saturday.
According to the sheriff, Tillman was at a Dollar General store in the area and mentioned that he would meet up with his friends to go fishing in the lake. The store employee then told investigators that the suspects were in the store and heard Tillman saying that he was meeting with his friends.
Judd said Tony Wiggins told his brother to drive down to the lake. Once there, Tony Wiggins confronted Springfield, accusing him of stealing his truck and selling the engine. Judd said investigators have not yet determined whether that allegation is true.
The brother told detectives that Tony Wiggins shot all three victims, then asked him to help put Tillman in the back of a truck.
The sheriff said the trio went to a McDonald’s and ordered 10 double cheeseburgers and two chicken sandwiches.
Rollins was still alive when the attackers left, Judd said. He called his father to ask for help. The father arrived about 10 minutes later, but forgot his cell phone to help his son, so he went to a convenience store for help.
When help arrived, her son was dead.
Detectives received advice on the case and obtained videos from the store. During a search warrant at the suspects’ homes, investigators found a weapon that killed the victims, Judd said.
Tony Wiggins is charged with first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His brother and girlfriend are accused of accessories after the fact. All three were expected to appear before a judge on Thursday afternoon. Lawyers for them were not listed in court records.
Judd had previously announced a $ 30,000 reward that would lead to arrests in the case.
.
