Polk County

‘It’s a massacre’: Polk County sheriff offers $30K reward after 3 friends killed after meeting to go fishing

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is now offering a $30,000 case reward for any tips that lead to an arrest after three friends were brutally killed after meeting to go fishing in a rural area of the county Friday night.

Sheriff Grady Judd said the three men, 23-year-old Damion Tillman, 30-year-old Keven Springfield and 27-year-old Brandon Rollins, were beaten and shot near a lake in Frostproof.

“It’s a massacre,” Judd said.

READ: Three friends murdered en route to Florida fishing trip

Judd said Monday that investigators think there may have been multiple assailants involved, but no arrests have been made.

He described the scene of the attack as “about as far out in the woods as you can get.” In 2018, the city of Frostproof recorded only 3,273 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“It has shaken Frostproof to its very core,” Judd said.

Judd said investigators so far have no hints of a motive for the killings or any indication whether the attackers knew the victims.

READ: ‘White Boy Rick,’ former teen FBI informant, released from Kissimmee halfway house after serving more than 3 decades

“What’s more wholesome than three buddies going fishing? …And then being shot down in the middle of the road during the nighttime hours. We’ve got to bring these people to justice,” Judd said.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call 1-800-226-8477 or visit heartlandcrimestoppers.com. Anonymity is guaranteed. The increase in reward money, Judd said, is thanks to contributions by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Sheriffs Association.

Sheriff Judd is discussing details about the triple homicide

Sheriff Judd is discussing details about the triple homicide that occurred over the weekend in Frostproof. There is a $30,000 CASH REWARD thanks to a generous contribution from our partners at the Florida Dept of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) for info leading to the arrest(s) of the suspect(s). Visit www.heartlandcrimestoppers.com. Click here to read the news release:https://tinyurl.com/y66rh3nu

Posted by Polk County Sheriff's Office on Monday, July 20, 2020
Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.