June 25, 2021
Levy County Detectives were able to close two cold cases yesterday with the arrest of Phillip D. Quillen (2/21/44) of Chiefland after he was linked to these cases with forensic evidence. In December of 2020, Detectives responded to a report of arson in the unincorporated area of Levy County south of Chiefland. The then unidentified suspect used an accelerant in an attempt to set an occupied home on fire and burned a car in the yard. In February of 2021 the then unknown suspect broke into the same home where the arson occurred and damaged more than $5,000 dollars in property inside the home.
Detectives linked Quillen to these crimes using biological evidence collected from these scenes. Quillen’s DNA had previously been submitted to the CODIS database for crimes he committed years earlier in Indiana. Confronted with overwhelming evidence, Quillen confessed to these crimes.
Quillen is being held at the Levy County Detention Bureau having been charged with arson of a dwelling while occupied, burglary and felony criminal mischief. His bond is set at $1,375,000.00.