Convicted murderer Russell Tillis' criminal history explored ahead of Evil Lives Here on ID
Now a convicted murderer, Russell Tillis had a lengthy criminal record even before he was arrested in 2015 after a wild chase through a booby-trapped backyard. Following this, he was charged with aggravated assault and battery on officers and later confessed to the murder of Joni Lynn Gunter, which led to a conviction in 2021.
The Cinemaholic reported that Tillis had previously been charged with s*xual battery, solicitation for prostitution, and sodomy involving an alleged assault on a s*x worker, among other charges. The felon had also served multiple prison sentences on charges such as grand theft, kidnapping, and child abuse, as per the Florida Department of Corrections.
Tillis' prison records mention that in April 2021, he was convicted on the charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and abuse of a dead body in connection with Gunter's murder. He was given two life sentences with an additional 30 years, and he is currently serving time at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.
Russell Tillis' crimes are to be chronicled in an all-new episode of Evil Lives Here on ID this Sunday, September 3, 2023. The episode titled He Had a Torture Chamber will air on the channel at 9 pm ET.
Here's a look at the synopsis for the upcoming episode:
"When Terry Patzer hears what police discovered at Russell Tillis' house of horrors, memories of the nine years she spent married to him flood back; she can't explain how her former lover became so twisted, but she was right to be afraid."
Russell Tillis served multiple prison terms between 1994 and 2008, as per the Florida Department of Corrections
According to the Florida Department of Corrections, Russell Tillis was sentenced to prison on several charges between 1994 and 2008, including grand theft, kidnapping, and abuse of a child. He was released in June 2012, following which he terrorized the Jacksonville, Florida, neighborhood where he resided.
The Cinemaholic reported that Tillis' crimes only intensified after his mother's passing shortly after his release from prison, and as the years progressed, his neighbors started to become terrified of him. Most people filed restraining and protection orders against him, including one of his neighbors named Annette Campbell, who said,
"There would be constant women in and out over there. Some of them would run over to my property and bang on my door, crying for help. We lived in constant fear with him there."
In fact, in July 2012, Tillis was even charged with s*xual battery and sodomy involving an alleged assault on a s*x worker, but the charges against him were eventually dropped. Police were reportedly called to the neighborhood over 80 times over the course of four years.
The outlet reported that former city councilman Don Redman recalled one such incident when Tillis "put a horn on his fence to disturb the neighbors, and it would go off every 30 minutes" and alleged that on one occasion, the troublemaker visited his business and threatened to kill him. Speaking on behalf of the neighborhood, Redman claimed:
"[People were] afraid to get out of their houses, to be terrorized again."
Tillis was even jailed for a stalking offense in February 2015 but was released after a week. A month before that, in January, he also faced charges stemming from the violation of an injunction related to s*xual and dating violence.
Russell Tillis was found guilty of murder and other charges in 2021, receiving two life sentences
Russell Tillis was arrested one final time on May 28, 2015, following a wild chase with officers through his booby-trapped backyard with razor blades and half-buried boards studded with nails at the 3551 Bowden Circle East home on suspicion of violating a restraining order taken out by a neighbor. The 55-year-old was then charged with aggravated assault and battery on officers.
The same Cinemaholic report claimed that Tillis was convicted on charges related to child abuse, burglary, kidnapping, and other serious offenses and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. While serving the sentence, he allegedly confessed to the murder of Joni Lynn Gunter, a missing s*x worker with a history of drug abuse.
During a search of his mobile home, police found four separate holes with the buried human remains belonging to Gunter. He was then charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, human trafficking, abuse of a dead body, evidence tampering, and kidnapping with intent to terrorize or cause bodily harm. They also found other incriminating evidence that suggested he may have murdered other victims.
In April 2021, Russell Tillis was found guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and abuse of a dead body and was sentenced to two life terms with an additional 20 years. He is currently serving his sentence at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.
Evil Lives Here airs a new episode on ID this Sunday at 9 pm ET.
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