Nearly three years after the heartbreaking killing of a Florida pastor's son outside his family's church, a jury has found the accused gunman guilty of first-degree murder.
Roderick Wilson Jr., remembered by family and friends as a devoted young Christian who loved sharing the Gospel and serving at his father's church, was fatally shot in the parking lot of the Pentecostal Church of God in Winter Haven in October 2023. He was just 20 years old and had been living and working on the church property at the time of his death.
Last week, a jury convicted Taquion "Quan" Cotton, a former gang member, of first-degree murder and several additional charges connected to the shooting. Cotton is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10 and faces life in prison.
The shocking case drew national attention after investigators said surveillance footage showed Wilson narrowly avoiding being struck by Cotton's vehicle before the suspect drove away, returned minutes later, and allegedly shot the young man multiple times. Authorities said there was no evidence the two men knew each other prior to the encounter.
Following the shooting, Cotton allegedly fled to a nearby home, where he attacked a woman before deputies subdued him with a Taser. Prosecutors also detailed his lengthy criminal history, which included multiple felony convictions before Wilson's death.
At the time of the tragedy, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described Wilson as "a Christian boy" who "loved the Lord," adding that he "got to see the Lord face to face a lot sooner than he should have."
Wilson's obituary remembered him as a God-loving young man with a passion for music, family, and sharing his faith. His mother later spoke publicly about the devastating loss, saying life would "never be the same" without her son.
The guilty verdict marks a significant milestone for Wilson's grieving family after years of waiting for justice in a case that deeply impacted both their church and the wider Winter Haven community.
