On October 22, 2023, 20-year-old Roderick Wilson, Jr. was found dead in the parking lot of the Pentecostal Church of God, located at 1261 34th Street NW in Winter Haven, Florida. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) was notified about the body at approximately 1:47 a.m. by a passerby. Upon arrival, deputies found Wilson with multiple gunshot wounds.
Wilson had been living in an apartment on the church property, as his father is a pastor at the Pentecostal Church of God.
The PCSO Homicide Investigations and Crime Scene Investigations units responded to the scene, collecting evidence and conducting interviews. Security video from a nearby building captured the murder, which aided in the investigation.
The suspect, 22-year-old Taquion "Quan" Cotton, was identified and located by detectives later that Sunday afternoon near the crime scene. Cotton attempted to flee and entered a nearby residence, where he battered a woman and put her in a chokehold. Cotton’s mother, who lives in the area, intervened to help the woman and assist deputies in apprehending her son. During the confrontation, Cotton bit his mother, prompting deputies to use a Taser to protect both women and secure Cotton.
Cotton has been charged with first-degree murder, along with several other felonies, including burglary with battery, kidnapping, battery-domestic with prior conviction, harassing in a felony proceeding, resisting with violence, tampering with physical evidence, and discharging a firearm in a residential area. He also faces charges of resisting without violence. Cotton’s prior criminal history is extensive, including 11 felonies and six misdemeanors, which include attempted murder, aggravated battery on a pregnant victim, burglaries, thefts, batteries, drug and weapons violations, and resisting.
The motive behind Cotton’s actions is still under investigation, and there is currently no indication that Cotton and Wilson knew each other prior to the incident. Authorities are also seeking the recovery of Cotton’s firearm, offering a $5,000 reward for its return. Cotton’s behavior during and after the arrest was erratic, as he yelled at his mother to not press charges against him for biting her during the apprehension.
