‘I just told them whatever they wanted to hear’: Accused killer’s brother reneges on plea deal during trial

BARTOW, Fla. (Court TV) — Prosecutors said Tuesday they would not be calling an accused killer’s brother to the stand after the intended witness changed his story, despite a plea deal in place.

Tony Lee “TJ” Wiggins is standing trial on charges that he murdered three men outside a Dollar General in 2020. Damion Tillman, Brandon Rollins and Keven Springfield had been planning to go fishing when they were shot to death. Prosecutors said the three victims and the defendant were connected by the defendant’s truck, which had been in Springfield’s possession and was missing an engine.

On Tuesday, the defendant’s brother, William Wiggins, appeared in court outside the jury’s presence for a brief proffer as attorneys worked to determine whether he would be called as a witness. William Wiggins pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence as part of an agreement with prosecutors that would have had him testify against his brother; prosecutors deferred his sentencing pending the outcome of TJ Wiggins’ trial.

William Wiggins told investigators multiple stories after the July 20, 2020, shooting; while he first said that he, his brother and his brother’s girlfriend had been driving a green vehicle to McDonald’s and nowhere near the victims, he later admitted that he had been driving a white truck and had watched as his brother fatally shot all three men.

When William Wiggins took the stand Tuesday, he said that his attorney had initially told him that, in addition to what was written in the plea agreement, prosecutors would agree to give him time served on his other open cases—unrelated to the current case. William Wiggins said that his attorney now told him that was not the case, so he reverted to his original story, saying that he and his brother were innocent.

William Wiggins: “I just told them whatever they wanted to hear.”
Prosecutor: “As you sit here today, is your eyewitness account that you eventually gave on July 21 true?”
William Wiggins: “No.”
Prosecutor: “What parts of that July 21 account, if any, do you now say was not true?”
William Wiggins: “We were never there.”
Prosecutor: “I’m sorry?”
William Wiggins: “We were never there.”

The prosecutor reminded William Wiggins that he had testified at the grand jury that TJ was the lone shooter.

“OK, so your testimony to the grand jury, under oath, that was not truthful?” the prosecutor asked.

“No,” William Wiggins replied.

“So the terms in your plea agreement, and what you signed for, that was a deception that you were saying to the state?” the prosecutor pressed.

“Yes,” William Wiggins said.

William Wiggins said that he had changed his story to say that TJ Wiggins had been the shooter because, “every time I told [the police] what I did that day, they told me I was lying.”

The prosecutor grew frustrated with William Wiggins at times and pointed out, “I notice you keep looking over towards your brother.” William Wiggins replied, “Sir, I haven’t been able to see my brother in two years.”

Prosecutors did not say in court what would happen next for William Wiggins after he failed to comply with the terms of his plea.

TJ Wiggins’ girlfriend, Mary Whittemore, admitted to being in the car with the brothers on the night of the shooting and pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact; she was sentenced to four years in prison.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for TJ Wiggins if he’s convicted.