Two men and a woman on Wednesday have been arrested in connection with the brutal beatings and death of three Florida friends during a nighttime catfishing trip.
“We have locked up the three people responsible for the murders of these guys,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
Tony “TJ” Wiggins, 26, a hardened criminal with 230 felony criminal charges against him in his arrest history, was the alleged ringleader behind the “massacre.” His girlfriend, Mary Whittemore, 27, and his brother William “Robert” Wiggins, 21, have also been arrested.
Judd called the elder Wiggins “pure evil in the flesh” and said his criminal history dates back to when he was 12 years old. He has 15 convictions and has two stints in state prison on his record.
REWARD OF $30G POSTED IN FLORIDA TRIPLE HOMICIDE CASE
Tony “TJ” Wiggins, 26, (left) was the alleged ringleader behind the “massacre.” His girlfriend, Mary Whittemore, 27, (center) and his brother Robert Wiggins, 21, (right) have also been arrested.
(Polk County Sheriff)
“He’s a thug, he’s a criminal,” Judd said, adding Wiggins has been charged with three counts of first degree murder, tampering with evidence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
His brother has been charged with tampering with evidence and accessory. Whittemore has been charged wth accessory after the fact of capital felony.
FLORIDA MAN DESCRIBES DESPERATE CALL FROM SON IN POLK COUNTY TRIPLE HOMICIDE CASE
Damion Tillman, 23, Kevin Springfield, 30, and Brandon Rollins, 27 – were “massacred” last week.
The killings have shocked the tiny 3,200-person city of Frostproof, Fla, located about 70 miles south of Orlando.
There was an intense manhunt for the killers and a reward for information leading to an arrest in the case had ballooned to $30,000.
Judd said the killings seemed to stem from an argument over the elder Wiggins’ truck.
“The only conflict we see is this- ‘Where’s my truck? I heard you stole the engine out of my truck,'” Judd said.
Wiggins had been arrested in March for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and was released on bond. However, because he allegedly killed Tillman, Springfield and Rollins while he was out on bond, he violated his pretrial release condtions and is therefore not allowed to bond out on the new charges.
“This is a guy who can hurt you because it’s the right thing for him to do in that moment in time with his three brain cells,” Judd said.
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The investigation is ongoing.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
