Flay Rollins, 54, was arrested after deputies found a woman shot to death at the Camp Richardson Recreation & Retreat Center in Tallahassee on Jan. 16. While in custody on a Georgia warrant, Rollins was linked to the Valdosta death of Walter “Bo” Pettiford and to the discovery of a pregnant woman shot to death in the Apalachicola National Forest. He faces two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Tallahassee and is being held without bond; additional charges may follow as investigations continue.
Man Arrested After Tallahassee ‘Suspicious Death’ Now Linked To Three Homicides, Including Pregnant Woman
Leon County Sheriff's OfficeFlay Rollins, Mugshot
Police arrested 54-year-old Flay Rollins after investigators responding to a reported suspicious death at a Tallahassee campground say they tied him to two additional shootings, including the fatal shooting of a pregnant woman.
What Happened
On Friday, Jan. 16, at about 11:30 a.m., deputies from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) responded to the Camp Richardson Recreation & Retreat Center in Tallahassee where they found a woman with apparent gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives quickly identified Flay Rollins, 54, as a suspect. Law enforcement later learned the U.S. Marshals Task Force had located Rollins and that he had been placed in the Leon County Detention Facility after a warrant was issued by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia related to an apparent homicide in Valdosta.
Connections To Additional Victims
That same day in Lowndes County, Georgia, deputies were called to the 3200 block of Skipper Bridge Road after a report of an unresponsive man. Responding deputies determined the man, later identified as Walter “Bo” Pettiford of Valdosta, had an apparent gunshot wound. Investigators in Georgia identified Rollins as a suspect in Pettiford’s death.
While in custody, Rollins allegedly admitted to killing the woman at the Tallahassee campground. Information he provided led investigators to a third victim in the Apalachicola National Forest: a pregnant woman who had suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
Charges, Cooperation And Next Steps
In Tallahassee, Rollins is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is being held without bond. Additional charges may be filed as the coordinated investigation between the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office continues.
Officials have said all three victims were known to the suspect. Authorities have not released the names of the female victims beyond confirming one was pregnant, and no motive has been announced.
How to Help: Anyone with information is asked to contact the Consolidated Dispatch Agency in Florida at 850-606-5800 or the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office at 229-671-2900.
The investigation remains active. The Leon County and Lowndes County sheriff’s offices, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Task Force, continue to develop leads and review evidence.
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