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

[Mysti88c]

Brandon probably didn’t know the assailants or he would have said “John Smith” attacked us. There would have been some arrests right away. Hopefully he did give descriptions that will help

 

[SuziQ]

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.

ITA, I think the victim gave a description of the perps and what happened. I don't think he knew them because the sheriff is asking for info. My understanding is the minor hopped in the dad's truck. He probably didn't want to waste time getting her out. For all we know she may have been a close friend or family. All IMO OF course.

 

[NoSI]

Brandon probably didn’t know the assailants or he would have said “John Smith” attacked us. There would have been some arrests right away. Hopefully he did give descriptions that will help

Wonder if the assailant/assailants were disguised with mask etc.? There has to be a connection between victims and the assailant/assailants as this particular fishing spot was reported to be private and off the beaten path. MOO.

 

[Mysti88c]

Wonder if the assailant/assailants were disguised with mask etc.? There has to be a connection between victims and the assailant/assailants as this particular fishing spot was reported to be private and off the beaten path. MOO.

You’re right. It does seem like it had to be someone they were connected to. The target probably wasn’t just Damion or they would have killed him and ran before the other two witnessed them. I wonder what the scene was like when the second two pulled up that didn’t alert them to grab their guns.

 

[skyedaze]

It doesn't seem like the son knew the attacker(s) or we would all know by now. Maybe the first victim knew.
Why shoot AND beat someone...sounds personal in some manner.
Yes people fish at night.
Maybe dad didn't know how to work his kid's phone or maybe it was dark and he couldn't find it or the attacker(s) took it.
The 17 year year old may have been family friend or knew cpr or maybe just trying to help in an emergency and had a phone.

 

[NoSI]

So i don't fish... Here in Colorado it seems that people go early in AM or in the earlier evening. Is fishing at night common?

 

[skyedaze]

You’re right. It does seem like it had to be someone they were connected to. The target probably wasn’t just Damion or they would have killed him and ran before the other two witnessed them. I wonder what the scene was like when the second two pulled up that didn’t alert them to grab their guns.

Does it say somewhere the the 2nd two victims had guns with them?

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

I would wonder where Tillman bought bait and who he met or talked to before arriving at the fishing spot.

“Tillman traveled to Lake Streety first and arrived by himself, according to Grady Judd, sheriff of Polk County.”

 

[enelram]

Wonder if the assailant/assailants were disguised with mask etc.? There has to be a connection between victims and the assailant/assailants as this particular fishing spot was reported to be private and off the beaten path. MOO.

According to Wiki there is public fishing access
to Lake Streety because it abuts Lake Streety road.
Also WFTV Orlando just showed an overhead
shot of the area of the crime and it was a short
jaunt, maybe 25-50 ft. from lake shoreline to
public road.
Lake Streety - Wikipedia

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

So i don't fish... Here in Colorado it seems that people go early in AM or in the earlier evening. Is fishing at night common?

People fish all night in Florida.

 

[TexLil]

All MOO. Thinking outloud on possible scenarios.

• The first fisherman /victim arrived alone and interrupted something illegal like a drug deal. When the next two victims arrived together they tried to stop the beating and bad guys shot them to prevent witnesses.
• The victims were meeting someone there and something went wrong.
• A personal issue (woman?) between one of the victims and one perpetrator. The prep sees victim's vehicle, follows to give him a beating when the others show up the gun comes out.

I think it's telling that there was a beating and a shooting. Leads me to believe the original plan was not murder but it escalated. Which also makes me think the perpetrator(s) are equally young and inexperienced. And impulsive?

So sad for these families. Feeling confident this will be solved fairly quickly.

MOO

 

[enelram]

just speculating....If the first victim stopped at a
mini mart in a bad part of town, like previously
reported, maybe some type confrontation happened there and the perps followed the victim down the road to the fishing spot.
the second and third victims may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but arrived during the first murder/beating and had
to be killed also as they were unwitting witnesses. moo

 

[Mind your biscuits]

They were in remote spot, so LE should be able to isolate any cell phones in the vicinity I would think. If the killers took the victim's phones with them even better for LE. I imagine this will be quickly solved. It's all very sad and unnessessary if you ask me. Moo.

 

[Falcon500]

So i don't fish... Here in Colorado it seems that people go early in AM or in the earlier evening. Is fishing at night common?

In the South it’s very common. It’s cooler, the catfish are active at night, and it’s a Southern thing to do.

 

[Margrock]

Excellent question...

Or take his son with him.

 

[Falcon500]

just speculating....If the first victim stopped at a
mini mart in a bad part of town, like previously
reported, maybe some type confrontation happened there and the perps followed the victim down the road to the fishing spot.
the second and third victims may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but arrived during the first murder/beating and had
to be killed also as they were unwitting witnesses. moo

There is no “bad part of town” because there is hardly any town at all. The murder scene is out in the middle of the orange groves and the nearest store is miles away. For people who question the 17 year old jumping into the dads truck don’t judge her by your standards. As Sheriff Judd said everyone knows each other and it was just a natural reaction for her to help.

If the son mumbled something of value that eventually leads to an arrest this would be a classic case of a dying declaration and would be admissible even though its hearsay.

 

[SammiSleuthing]

Or take his son with him.

Hm. I'm still learning the details of this ghastly case but I just don't find this weird. It's the middle of the night, a loved one calls you and says "help". You are now in full-on panic, you have a minor with you, you grab them and get to the where they are at ASAP. I would probably scoop up my dog in the panic, I can't even imagine what was going through his mind.

Sometimes we imagine things using our cooler heads. If only he had taken his cell phone, too.

But when you get a phone call like that? I'm surprised he didn't crash on the way.

MOO.

 

[skyedaze]

Hm. I'm still learning the details of this ghastly case but I just don't find this weird. It's the middle of the night, a loved one calls you and says "help". You are now in full-on panic, you have a minor with you, you grab them and get to the where they are at ASAP. I would probably scoop up my dog in the panic, I can't even imagine what was going through his mind.

Sometimes we imagine things using our cooler heads. If only he had taken his cell phone, too.

But when you get a phone call like that? I'm surprised he didn't crash on the way.

MOO.

I agree.
The only thing I find weird is the beating AND shooting.

 

[worm]

I can’t imagine the monster that these guys must have encountered, I sure hope we get an arrest soon.

 

[SammiSleuthing]

I agree.
The only thing I find weird is the beating AND shooting.

I know it, me too. It's hard to get your mind around that. This is what I'm wondering, based on what the Sheriff said:

"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."

So, as others have speculated, a beating is very personal. Was Tillman the target for the beating, perhaps only a bad beating as a form of vengeance, and when the other two friends arrived, things escalated, there were now witnesses, and so they were quickly shot by the killer(s) to cover their tracks?

If true, the autopsies would be revealing. One beaten badly/shot, the others victims shot.

It's really early, I think we can agree how horrible this is, no matter what the motivation. The poor father.