Three friends were killed just moments after meeting to spend a night fishing in a lake in central Florida, authorities said Saturday. They were found by the father of one of the men who managed to ask for help just before he died.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who has worked in the department since 1972, described the murders on Frostproof Lake as a “massacre.” He said that the men were beaten and shot.
“This is a horrible scene,” Judd said at a news conference Saturday near Lake Streety where the bodies were found. “I have been to many murder scenes in my life, and this is among the worst.”
Killed were Damion Tillman, 23; Keven Springfield, 30; and Brandon Rollins, 27.
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Judd said this is what investigators believe happened: Tillman first came to the lake to meet his friends to “fish at night” for the catfish. When Rollins and Springfield arrived, they saw Tillman being hit. The attackers began shooting at them.
Rollins was still alive when the attackers left and called his father for help. His father ran to the fishing spot about 10 minutes away, but he forgot his cell phone in a hurry to help his son. He drove to a nearby convenience store, and the employee helped him communicate with authorities, but when they arrived, Rollins was dead.
When the emergency crews arrived, the three youths were dead. Judd said they were “massacred”.
Judd did not say what information Rollins shared with his father before he died, but said they did have a conversation. He also did not say whether authorities identified suspects, but noted that his department is offering $ 5,000 for any information leading to the capture of the killers. He said investigators believe more than one person was involved in the killings.
Judd also would not speculate whether the attackers knew the victims, although he also suggested that it was not a random attack.
“You don’t run into someone out here. This is a dirt road, a loamy dirt road, located in the middle of what we call God’s country, way to a small fishing lake. It’s not like there is a a lot of people around here. As you can see, it’s cow pasture and lakes, “he said.
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