Frostproof triple murder: TJ Wiggins found guilty on all counts
TJ Wiggins found guilty in 2020 triple murder
After two weeks of testimony and three hours of deliberations, a Polk County jury found Tony "TJ" Wiggins guilty on all counts in a triple murder in Frostproof six years ago. He now faces the possibility of the death penalty for ambushing and shooting three friends as they prepared for a fishing trip back in 2020. FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.
BARTOW, Fla. - A jury unanimously found Tony Lee "TJ" Wiggins Jr. guilty in the 2020 killings of three men who were on a night fishing trip near Frostproof.
Frostproof triple murder trial
What we know:
Wiggins was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 23-year-old Damion Tillman, 28-year-old Brandon Rollins and 30-year-old Keven Springfield.
Family and friends in the courtroom quietly let out a breath, followed by quiet shushes, maintaining their composure. The families of the three men waited more than six years for this moment.
Jurors reached a verdict in the TJ Wiggins triple murder trial after a brief disruption threatened to stall the case. On Monday, a judge denied a mistrial motion after Cyril Rollins, the father of victim Brandon Rollins, stood up during defense closing arguments and shouted as he left the room. Rollins yelled that his son died in his arms and claimed the victim named Wiggins as the shooter before dying.
Court officials and attorneys questioned each juror individually after lunch to evaluate what they heard. The judge dismissed one juror who acknowledged hearing the father accuse Wiggins of the crime, allowing deliberations to proceed with the remaining panel.
What they're saying:
Rollins' mother spoke outside the courthouse Tuesday afternoon following the verdict.
"It felt like there was a piece of my heart that wasn't broken, that was put right back together," Dottie Payton, Rollins' mother, said. "I was excited. We waited six years for this verdict and we got it today."
She says the last six years have been extremely difficult for the families and friends of all three men.
"I'll keep posting about Brandon every day, every year, so it's not forgotten," she said. "We haven't forgotten and we won't forget."
FOX 13 also spoke with some of Damion Tillman's family members off-camera, who said they're happy to finally see justice served.
Evidence in Lake Streety killings
The backstory:
Prosecutors say Wiggins spotted Tillman at a Dollar General before following him to a remote area on Lake Streety Road. Tillman was meeting Rollins and Springfield for a night fishing trip.
State evidence indicates Wiggins punched Springfield over a truck engine dispute, beat at least one victim with a gun butt, and fired at least 10 rounds. Investigators linked DNA on spent 9 mm shell casings at the scene to shell casings outside Wiggins' trailer, and authorities discovered blood on a truck seatbelt.
Defense arguments and potential sentence
The other side:
Defense attorneys argued the state lacked direct evidence proving a gun was in Wiggins' hand or proving premeditation. Wiggins chose not to take the stand during the trial.
Surveillance footage captured Wiggins' white pickup truck moving from the crime scene to a Polk County McDonald's drive-thru 13 minutes later, and additional video showed the truck being washed the next morning. Jurors also heard a jailhouse phone call where Wiggins claimed investigators had no fingerprints linking him to the triple homicide.
What's next:
Wiggins now faces a potential death sentence as the trial moves into the penalty phase. The jury will be back on Thursday at 8:45 a.m. for the penalty phase, which is expected to take most of the day.
A death sentence recommendation requires a vote from at least eight of the 12 jurors.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from court proceedings in the TJ Wiggins triple murder trial, defense arguments presented by attorney Debra Tuomey, and statements from prosecutors and law enforcement investigators.