Murder for Hire Plot Discovered

 

July 21, 2021

Levy County Detectives closed a cold case on June 25, 2021 with the arrest of Phillip D. Quillen (2/21/44) of Chiefland. Quillen was linked to this case with forensic evidence recovered from the crime scene. Quillen is currently being held in the Levy County Detention Bureau having been charged with burglary, felony criminal mischief and arson of an occupied dwelling. His bond was set at $1,375,000.00 during his first appearance in court.

On July 14, 2021 Detectives learned of a plot Quillen concocted to hire a person to murder several people whom he believed had wronged him. The victim of the crime in which he is incarcerated was also one of his targets. Quillen offered $5,000 for each of the four people he wanted killed and promised to pay an additional $5,000 bonus if all the murders were successful.

Detectives filed the additional charge of conspiracy to commit murder on July 20, 2021. Quillen has not been to his first court appearance in this new case.

New Charges Filed on Adam Scott

 

July 20, 2021

Additional charges were filed yesterday on Adam John Scott (12/1/81) of Morriston. Scott was arrested by Levy County Deputies on July 16, 2021 after an extensive manhunt. Scott was a suspect in a domestic violence call when deputies arrived to speak to him. Scott opened fire on the responding deputies with a handgun and fled. The manhunt focused on Scott’s family property on US Hwy 41 in Morriston, a 22 acre parcel of property which is overgrown and filled with junk vehicles. The search for Scott lasted approximately 24 hours until he was located and taken into custody.

Scott was initially taken into custody Friday evening for a warrant charging him with the attempted murder of law enforcement officers. Circuit Judge W. Davis pre-set the bond on this warrant at $1,000,000.00 (one million dollars).

Detectives filed the additional charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and tampering with evidence. An additional bond of $1,600,000.00 (one million six hundred thousand dollars) has been set on these new charges.

Scott is being held in the Levy County Detention Facility and is awaiting his first court appearance for these charges.

COVID-19 Outbreak at Levy County Detention Facility

 

July 12, 2021

On July 6, 2021 medical personnel at the Levy County Detention Facility began receiving complaints from both inmates and staff members of flu like symptoms. As of today at 2:00 p.m. the LCSO nursing staff report seventeen (17) staff members have been tested for COVID-19 and eight (8) have shown to be positive. Fifteen (15) inmates have also been tested and six (6) were shown to be positive.

The LCSO Detention Facility immediately began an aggressive regime sanitizing the entire facility with a backpack style ionizer as well as all other CDC recommended sanitation procedures. The staff members who tested positive have been sent home to quarantine and the inmates who tested positive are now isolated in a single dormitory. Mask usage and mandatory temperature checks has been re-instituted for all inmates and staff members in the detention facility as well as a mandatory quarantine period for all persons arrested since July 6, 2021.

Wide Load on a Narrow Road

 

July 6, 2021

On July 2, 2021 the Levy County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a concerned citizen who reported a suspicious vehicle seen near their home. The reporting person told the LCSO Communications dispatcher she saw a grey Dodge truck come into her subdivision early that morning. Several hours later she saw the same truck leaving with a load of large boxes in the bed. The truck was driven by a white male. The citizen also saw another male and a female inside the cab. The driver of this truck asked the citizen to move her vehicle over on the narrow road so they could pass.

Deputy Matt Adams was dispatched to the area and saw the described truck traveling north on SR 121. Deputy Adams was attempting to run the tag on the truck when the driver increased his speed and began to make evasive turns. Deputy Adams then conducted a traffic stop and when the vehicle came to a full stop, a male exited the passenger side of the truck and fled into the woods.

Detectives arrived on scene to assist Deputy Adams. The subsequent investigation revealed the trio entered into a home under construction and had stolen all of the new appliances that had recently been delivered. Detective Jarod Lee was able to use tracking information found on the boxes to identify both the owner and the location where the items had been delivered to and stolen from. 

Shortly after taking the driver and the female passenger into custody, a second call was received of a suspicious person on a front porch as seen by a homeowner using their doorbell camera. Detective Lee and other deputies responded to the suspicious person call and located the man. He was identified as the person who fled from the traffic stop Deputy Adams made.  He too was taken into custody.

Detectives discovered the three persons they had arrested, Timothy Pearson (6/5/87) the driver, Douglas Jordan (12/22/88) the passenger and Triana Taylor (9/23/85) all of whom are from Citrus County, are current suspects in multiple burglaries in Citrus and Hernando Counties. All subjects are currently being held in the Levy County Detention Facility.

This investigation is still on-going. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Corporal C.J. Perryman at 352-486-5111. You may also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-7-877-349-8477.