Judge denies mistrial in Polk County triple-murder trial after father's emotional outburst
Deliberations in TJ Wiggins trial begin Tuesday
After two weeks of trial, a jury will begin deliberating Tuesday in a triple-murder case in Polk County. Tony "TJ" Wiggins faces three counts of first-degree murder and a potential death sentence, accused of shooting and killing three men during a fishing trip back in 2020. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.
FROSTPROOF, Fla. - A judge denied a mistrial motion Monday following an emotional courtroom outburst during the triple-murder trial of Tony "TJ" Wiggins in Bartow.
Jury deliberations will now move forward after court officials questioned jurors individually to determine what they heard during the gallery disruption. This came following two weeks of testimony over the July 2020 ambush killings of three men near Frostproof.
Frostproof trail evidence presented
What we know:
Prosecutors say Wiggins spotted 23-year-old Damion Tillman at a Dollar General before following him to a remote spot on Lake Streety Road. Tillman was meeting 28-year-old Brandon Rollins and 30-year-old Keven Springfield for night fishing.
State evidence shows Wiggins punched Springfield over a truck engine dispute, beat at least one victim with the butt of a gun, and fired at least 10 rounds. Investigators matched DNA on spent 9 mm shell casings from the scene to casings outside Wiggins' trailer and found blood on a truck seatbelt.
Unanswered defense questions
What we don't know:
Defense attorneys argued the state failed to present direct evidence placing a gun in Wiggins' hand or prove premeditation. Wiggins chose not to take the stand to explain his side of the events.
Key timeline of events
Timeline:
Surveillance footage tracked Wiggins' white pickup truck from the crime scene to a Lake Wales McDonald's drive-thru just 13 minutes later. Additional video showed the truck being washed the following morning.
Jurors also heard a jailhouse phone call where Wiggins claimed investigators had no fingerprints connecting him to the triple homicide.
Father shouts in Bartow courtroom
The backstory:
During closing statements by defense attorney Debra Tuomey, Cyril Rollins stood up from the gallery and shouted as he walked toward the exit. Rollins, the father of victim Brandon Rollins, yelled that his son died in his arms and claimed his son identified Wiggins as the killer before dying.
Attorneys and the judge questioned every juror individually after lunch to determine how much of the outburst was heard. The judge excused one juror after she acknowledged hearing the father say the suspect committed the crime.
Deliberations and legal charges
What's next:
Although defense attorneys moved for a mistrial, the judge denied the request and scheduled jury instructions and deliberations to begin Tuesday.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Wiggins faces the death penalty, which requires a recommendation from at least eight of the 12 jurors.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from trial testimony, court filings, and evidence presented by prosecutors and defense attorneys in Polk County Circuit Court.