Three people were arrested in what Florida officials called the massacre of three friends who had planned to go fishing in Florida last week.
Authorities announced Wednesday charges against 26-year-old Tony “TJ” Wiggins, whom Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described as the shooter; his girlfriend, Mary Whittemore, 27; and Wiggins’ 21-year-old brother, William “Robert” Wiggins.
Tony Wiggins believed that one of the victims found dead on Friday near Lake Streety in a remote area had previously stolen the engine of his truck, Judd said, adding that investigators have not determined if that is the case.
“And why is this guy massacring three young men: 23, 27, and 30, on his fishing trip Friday night near Frostproof?” Judd said at a press conference on Wednesday. “It is heartbreaking.”
Damion Tillman, 23; Keven Springfield, 30; and Brandon Rollins, 27, all from Frostproof, a small town southeast of Tampa, were shot dead Friday at 10 p.m.
While in a truck driven by his brother, Tony Wiggins confronted the three friends who were talking in his two trucks on a highway, the sheriff said.
Wiggins pulled out a gun and asked Springfield about the engine and his truck before hitting it and opening fire, Judd said.
Springfield and Rollins were killed in the truck they were in, and Wiggins allegedly turned around and fatally shot Tillman, who was in another truck.
A chance encounter and an innocent comment at a Dollar General store may have preceded the murders.
Judd said that after the shooting, investigators discovered a store bag in Tillman’s truck, where officials later found a surveillance video showing Tillman checking. Tony and Robert Wiggins were in the store at the same time.
Investigators believe the brothers heard Tillman tell the employee that he and Springfield were going to fish.
The shootings were thought to have occurred about 10 minutes after Tillman left the store. It was then that Rollins called his father for help, Judd said. The father rushed to the scene and found his son shot dead.
Tony Wiggins was arrested Monday after investigators recorded what Judd described as a family complex of travel trailers, without running water and powered by “off-grid” generators in the woods, and found two shotguns and two SKS rifles .
Wiggins is a convicted felon and is not allowed to have firearms, Judd said. The sheriff said a 9mm shell found at his home matched a shell at the crime scene, and it was determined that both had been shot with the same gun.
The other two suspects, who the sheriff repeatedly said they lied to cover up for Wiggins, were arrested Tuesday night.
Tony Wiggins is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and other charges.
Robert Wiggins and Whittemore face three accessory charges after the fact and one charge of tampering with evidence, the sheriff said.
The case is under investigation and more charges could be added, he said.
An email request for comment from a public defender listed as Tony Wiggins’ representative was not immediately answered Wednesday night. The court records of the other two suspects did not appear to be online and it was unclear if they had attorneys who could speak on their behalf.
