Florida sheriff drops hammer on 'thug' with 230 charges who allegedly murdered 3 friends on a fishing trip: 'We pray' for 'the death penalty'

A Florida sheriff is praying that the state attorney seeks the death penalty for a 26-year-old man with an unbelievable 230 charges on record who was arrested Wednesday for the alleged triple homicide of three friends out on a fishing trip.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced in a news conference Wednesday that Tony "TJ" Wiggins had been arrested and charged with allegedly murdering Damion Tillman, 23, Keven Springfield, 30, and Brandon Rollins, 27, in a gruesome "massacre" that reportedly stemmed from an argument over a truck.

Two others, Wiggins' girlfriend, Mary Whittemore, 27, and his brother, Robert Wiggins, 21, were also charged as accessories in the alleged slaying.

'We pray' for 'the death penalty'

During the news conference, Judd displayed a picture of TJ Wiggins and said, "I'm sure somebody thinks he ought to have counseling and pretrial release," before adding on behalf of the police department that "we pray that the state attorney can seek the death penalty."

"He needs to receive a fair trial, the appropriate appeals, and then be executed," the sheriff said.

'Pure evil in the flesh': 2 brothers, 1 woman arrested in Polk County triple homicideyoutu.be

When Judd revealed the extent of Wiggins' criminal record — which includes 15 convictions and being regularly arrested since he was 12 years old — he had to repeat it so reporters would believe him.

"I didn't stutter. He has 230 charges in his arrest history. Fifteen convictions and two times to state prison at only 26," the sheriff said. "He's a thug, he's a criminal. He's pure evil in the flesh. He's wild and he's out of control."

Judd noted that before the triple murder, Wiggins' brother had one misdemeanor arrest and his girlfriend had no prior criminal arrests.

Dollar General bag leads to arrest

The murders occurred Friday night in Frostproof, a small central Florida city of 3,000 residents nearby Orlando.

Investigators reportedly found a Dollar General bag in the victims' truck that led them to the store to check surveillance footage, which showed the suspects and the victims present in the store shortly before the murders took place.

Law enforcement believe that Wiggins overheard Tillman talking about going fishing and instructed his brother to drive to the lake to meet them, according to the Washington Examiner. Then they confronted the victims alleging that one of them had previously stolen his truck's engine. Police have not been able to confirm whether that accusation is truthful.

At this point it is believed that Wiggins shot all three of the fishermen. Wiggins' brother reportedly confessed that to be the case to police during the investigation.

The three suspects then allegedly drove to McDonald's and ordered 10 double cheeseburgers and 2 McChicken sandwiches.

3 arrested in Frostproof triple murder investigationyoutu.be