In a press conference on July 20th, Sheriff Al Nienhuis reviewed the murder of Preston Talley of Gainesville. Sunday morning, July 17th, they received call from a citizen who found a man, naked and deceased in a vehicle in the Richloam forest area.
The forensics and crime analysis teams were brought in to conduct their investigations.
Major case detectives Stevens and Williamson were called in to take the lead, said Sheriff Nienhuis.
They found the car to be registered to Preston Oliver Talley, a white male born March 29, 1981.
After conducting some interviews, they found Mr. Talley led a high risk lifestyle. He was in communication with a woman named Kayla Morrow on a social media site called Plenty of Fish.
Although Talley thought he was conversing with her, he was actually conversing with a Mr. Joshua Gardner, a friend of Morrow. Gardner, Morrow, 19-year old Andrew Abbott and 24-year old Brandon Harrelson were attempting to lure Talley into Hernando County for sex and/or drug consumption specifically methamphetamine.
Talley purchased methamphetamine on his way down from Gainesville.
Talley met Kayla Morrow at 301 and SR 50. They spoke for a brief time and he followed her into the woods east of there. Sheriff Nienhuis explained that three of the individuals were placed in the woods by Morrow prior to meeting the victim Preston Talley.
Investigators believe that as soon as Talley got out of his vehicle, the individuals started hitting Talley with a bat in the head until he was deceased.
The suspects took time to clean up the crime scene, attempting to destroy evidence.
Shortly thereafter, Sheriff Nienhuis explained they received evidence that the suspects were heading to Jackson County Missouri. They contacted the Sheriff’s office there who helped considerably as well as the Pasco Sheriff’s Office- where the suspects were living.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office crime analysis unit was able to get information that the suspects were heading back to Hernando County. Then at exit 329 they began heading north again.
Alachua county was doing an operation on I-75. With assistance from patrols in the area and FHP, they were able to do a felony stop in the area of Payne’s Prairie. Three of the four suspects were taken into custody without incident.
The fourth suspect was dropped off on I-75 and got a ride to Pasco County. He was taken into custody shortly after.
All 4 suspects have made admissions that they were involved with this crime and are charged with first degree murder and robbery with a weapon. They each have a $50,000 bond.