FL - Damion Tillman, Keven Springfield, & Brandon Rollins, massacred, Frostproof, 17 July 2020

[Seattle1]

UPDATE: 3 Friends Massacred While Fishing, Sheriff Grady Judd Requesting Information

July 18, 2020 at 10:44 pm

UPDATE: 7/18/2020 10:44am Per PCSO — Preliminary information is as follows: Around 10:06 p.m. on Friday, July 17, 2020, Brandon Rollins called his dad and said “Help” – his dad knew Brandon had gone fishing with his two friends, Keven and Damion. Brandon’s dad drove to Lake Streety Road. When he arrived he found his son Brandon barely alive, and his two friends deceased. Brandon was able to say a few things to his dad, which we are not releasing at this time.

Brandon’s dad left his home so fast, he forgot his cell phone. He drove to the nearest gas station to call 911.

When first responders arrived, all three men were deceased. They appear to have been beaten and shot. According to the families, the three men have been best friends for years and were fishing Friday night (on land, not in a boat).

A photo from the scene is attached in the link below. The trucks that the victims were in are the red and the white trucks. The black truck belongs to Brandon’s dad.

[..]

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Keven Springfield, 30, Damien Tillman, 23, and Brandon Rollins, 27 were brutally beaten and shot to death as they met up to go fishing around 10 pm.

Sheriff Grady Judd said Tillman showed up to the lake first and was killed. Rollins and Springfield arrived together a short time later in a separate pickup truck and were shot. After the altercation, Rollins was able to call his father and ask for help.

[..]

Due to Florida’s Marsy’s law, names are typically not released; however, the names were authorized for release by the families. Check back frequently as details are subject to change as the investigation is developing.

 

[Seattle1]

If you have information that leads to the arrest of the murder(s), you are entitled to a $5,000 reward, according to Sheriff Judd.

Below is the message from Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd’s Facebook post:

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is on the scene of triple murder in Frostproof on Lake Streety Rd. There are three adult male victims who were fishing on Lake Streety last night (July 16, 2020) prior to being murdered. If anyone has information about this homicide they are urged to contact Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477 or www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com. Anonymity is guaranteed!

©2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

[Seattle1]

Florida sheriff: 3 best friends beaten, fatally shot as they met up to go fishing Friday night

July 18, 2020

FROSTPROOF, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is searching for the person(s) who killed three men Friday night, July 17 in Frostproof, Florida.

According to PCSO, Damion Tillman, 23, Keven Springfield, 30 and Brandon Rollins, 27 were beaten and shot as they met up to go fishing around 10 p.m. on Lake Streety near US 27.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Tillman showed up to the lake first and was killed. Rollins and Springfield arrived together a short time later and were shot.

Rollins was able to call his father and said, “Help”. His father knew his son had gone fishing and immediately headed to Lake Streety.

Deputies said when he arrived, he found his son barely alive, and his two friends dead. PCSO said Rollins was able to say a few things to his father, but details about their conversation is not being released.

[..]

Sheriff Judd said, “I’ve been to a lot of murder scenes, but this is one of the worst I’ve ever seen.”

 

[Seattle1]

Son calls his dad in distress -- asking for help.
Dad races to the crime scene leaving his phone at home.
Dad finds his son barely alive, others dead, but leaves his son to drive to the convenience store to call 911.

Why didn't he use his son's phone?

 

[Seattle1]

The week ahead: 3 stories to watch out for

July 18, 2020

FROSTPROOF, Fla. —

Authorities in Florida are investigating the killings of three best friends who were beaten and shot to death while fishing Friday night, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

The victims have been identified as 23-year-old Damion Tillman, 30-year-old Keven Springfield and 27-year-old Brandon Rollins, all from Frostproof, Florida, about 70 miles south of Orlando.

Rollins called his father around 10:06 p.m. Friday and asked for help. His father rushed to where he knew he was fishing with his friends.

"When he arrived he found his son Brandon barely alive, and his two friends deceased," the sheriff's office said in a news release. "Brandon was able to say a few things to his dad, which we are not releasing at this time."

In a state of panic, Rollins' father forgot to bring his cell phone, so he went to a nearby convenience store to call 911. By the time his father returned, Rollins also died.

Watch the video linked above to listen to Judd's full statement about the triple homicide.

 

[Seattle1]

PCSO: Manhunt underway in Frostproof triple homicide

July 18, 2020

During a media briefing near the scene on Lake Streety Road on Saturday morning, Judd identified the victims as Damion Tillman, 23, Keven Springfield, 30, and Brandon Rollins, 27. The three men had been friends for years, Judd said, adding the families of the victims gave PCSO permission to release their names.
[..]
Judd said it appeared that Tillman arrived first in his red [GMC] pickup truck, and that while he was being murdered, Rollins and Springfield arrived in a white pickup truck and also were shot.

“In Brandon’s father’s excitement to run to help his son, he forgot his cellphone at home. So now he is out in the middle, as you can see, of no place without any communication,” Judd said. The father drove back to the nearest convenience store to call 911 and said “my son needs help.”

A 17-year-old girl, the daughter of the convenience store’s owner, jumped into the vehicle of Rollins’ father and the two drove back to Lake Streety Road, Judd said.

Polk County EMS, Polk Fire Rescue and PCSO were notified, but by the time they arrived, Rollins had succumbed to his injuries.

“These folks appear to be beaten and shot. ... We are seeking leads, we need help so we can solve this crime sooner rather than later,” Judd said, adding that PCSO suspects there was more than one killer.

Describing the “quiet, quaint” community surrounded by groves, forest and cattle ranches, Judd said the murder scene area was “about as far out in the woods as you can get.”

“This is a horrific scene. I have been to a lot of murder scenes in my life and this ranks up with the worst of them,” Judd said. “They were viciously murdered.”


Google Maps

 

[Seattle1]

I have been looking through everything to make some kind of sense of this tragedy. Just devastating! I do know that Sheriff Grady Judd is one of the best. I lived in Polk County for 20+ years and he is one of the top three things/people I miss from there. I fully believe this will be solved. Through hours of searching today, it became very clear this should be solved quickly. It also seems the father who found them may need our prayers more than most realize. Since I can’t link social media that has to be IMO. I don’t really know what to think here. It seems Tillman was either the target and then the two other guys pulling up and went to help their friend ended up hurt, or like someone else said maybe they pulled up on a dangerous individual (like one being sought), or maybe they were lured out there and set up? Maybe road rage that led to this? Whoever beat these guys is/are full of rage and really wanted to hurt them vs shooting them because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. IMO at least one of these guys was a target.

I agree that at least one of the guys must have been the target. The description by Sheriff sounds personal and full of rage.

From the map, seems far too remote for road rage incident.

I'm also curious if the BR called his dad without the shooter(s) knowing because I'm wondering if they robbed all three victims taking their phones before fleeing.

I'm thinking none of the victims must have had a phone causing the dad to leave his son to go to the convenience store to phone for help.

No father should have to lose his son under such conditions. Sorry for all the families and friends of the victims.

 

[wyldcynic]

Could be the son’s phone was locked and in a panic dad couldn’t figure out how to make an emergency call.

 

[NoSI]

Son calls his dad in distress -- asking for help.
Dad races to the crime scene leaving his phone at home.
Dad finds his son barely alive, others dead, but leaves his son to drive to the convenience store to call 911.

Why didn't he use his son's phone?

Excellent question...

 

[JayLee#99]

How come the father had to drive to get help, instead of just calling 911 from his son's phone?

My thoughts exactly. Strange.

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

On the satellite photo, there doesn't appear to be homes or barns along Lake Streety that would have a security camera.
خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

It's interesting that the sheriff stated there were likely suspects, not a suspect.

“We are seeking leads, we need help so we can solve this crime sooner rather than later because there are one or more, we suspected more, murderers, that killed three people in a quiet community.”

UPDATE: 3 Friends Massacred While Fishing, Sheriff Grady Judd Requesting Information

 

[taylorss]

Great Q about the phone .... maybe it was out of power, & that’s why the son’s call to his father was only one word long. (Speculation)

In link above - it only took the dad 10 minutes to drive to the scene, which he knew exactly where & how to get to. So the fishing spot was close to his home & apparently one they’d been to before MOO. That seems to contradict what sheriff said re ‘this isn’t a spot you’d just stumble upon.’

Also article below says son called father at 10 pm - is night fishing a thing? I don’t fish, family members who did used to always go at dawn.
ETA: I googled & looks like night fishing for catfish is indeed a thing.

Some suggestions LE knows who they’re seeking. but then if they’re asking for public’s help, not sure. It sounds like the poor dad could’ve gotten the needed info from his son (heartbreaking!), but then maybe not per this:

'I found my son. I was holding him he was telling me what happened but I was too shocked to know what was going on.'
Three men shot dead while on fishing trip in Florida after one rang his father and shouted 'help!' | Daily Mail Online

 

[oviedo]

Great Q about the phone .... maybe it was out of power, & that’s why the son’s call to his father was only one word long. (Speculation)

In link above - it only took the dad 10 minutes to drive to the scene, which he knew exactly where & how to get to. So the fishing spot was close to his home & apparently one they’d been to before MOO. That seems to contradict what sheriff said re ‘this isn’t a spot you’d just stumble upon.’

Also article below says son called father at 10 pm - is night fishing a thing? I don’t fish, family members who did used to always go at dawn.
ETA: I googled & looks like night fishing for catfish is indeed a thing.

Some suggestions LE knows who they’re seeking. but then if they’re asking for public’s help, not sure. It sounds like the poor dad could’ve gotten the needed info from his son (heartbreaking!), but then maybe not per this:

'I found my son. I was holding him he was telling me what happened but I was too shocked to know what was going on.'
Three men shot dead while on fishing trip in Florida after one rang his father and shouted 'help!' | Daily Mail Online

Yes night fishing is a thing but I’m thinking this was a target and the beating was personal - maybe they have video somewhere along the route because it seems like they may have been followed ? JMO

 

[Gunslinging Granny]

Look at the soft road dirt in the photos. I hope the rescue squads didn't inadvertently ruin the tire tracks.

 

[Seattle1]

Justin Schecker[URL='https://twitter.com/WFLAJustin']@WFLAJustin[/URL]

Brandon Rollins' father described for 8 On Your Side the final phone call from his son which led to the gruesome discovery near the lake. All his heartbroken mom wants right now is justice for her son and his two best friends. https://wfla.com/news/polk-county/3-men-killed-while-fishing-in-frostproof-sheriff-judd-to-speak-at-930/…@WFLA
https://twitter.com/WFLAJustin
2:48 PM · Jul 18, 2020·Twitter Web App

"I want justice for him and I will not stop until he gets it." The girlfriend of one of the victims from the fishing trip triple murder in Frostproof says
@PolkCoSheriff
Judd shook her hand and promised he will not stop until justice is served.
@WFLA
https://wfla.com/news/polk-county/3-men-killed-while-fishing-in-frostproof-sheriff-judd-to-speak-at-930/…

2:38 PM · Jul 18, 2020·Twitter Web App

 

[Seattle1]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1181888732186902

GRADY JUDD ON TRIPLE HOMICIDE: Polk Co. Sheriff Grady Judd says 3 men were killed after fishing in Frostproof

 

[Starkville]

I’m sorry, why would a man bring a minor when returning to the scene of a grisly triple murder? Why was this even mentioned in a news story?

 

[Seattle1]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=723752814863022

Girlfriend of Polk Co. triple murder victim speaks to 8 On Your Side

 

[Feriel93]

What a sad story.

I wonder what the victim spoke to his dad about on the phone call.

None of us have never been in a dying person’s shoes so I’m not sure what took priority for him in that moment. Probably he simply told his dad the location and that the loved him or much more about the crime, we don’t know.

Maybe it’s the true crime enthusiast in me but I feel like if I knew my killer(s) 100% , I would say even just their first name in some distress call to make my family have some sort of knowledge .

I feel like maybe he didn’t know the killer(s) and that’s why LE is appealing to the public for help.

I do find it weird that the dad showed up with a minor to the crime scene.