The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has issued first-degree murder warrants on two suspects currently being held in Florida who they believe shot and killed a truck driver last Thursday, March 31 on the U.S. 74 ramp in Columbus.

Quintae Darelle Edwards, 23, of 15 Dunbrook Dr., Simpsonsville, S.C. and Kwame Fernanders, 22, of 319 Pastel Crt., Spartanburg, S.C. are both being charged with the first-degree murder of 51-year-old Destry Horne of Lilesville, N.C., according to sheriff reports.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference on Thursday, April 7 detailing what they call the crime spree Edwards, Fernanders and Kayla Black went on last week that included several robberies, the murder in Columbus and ended with a home invasion and kidnapping in Florida. The three are currently being held by the Leon County, Florida Sheriff’s Office on charges of home invasion and kidnapping that occurred in Gainesville, Florida earlier this week. Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill said he is not yet sure when the three will be extradited back to North Carolina.

Hill and Capt. B.J. Bayne also said an armed robbery in Landrum on the same morning as the murder will also be connected to the three suspects. The investigation is ongoing and the sheriff’s office as of Thursday was still working with the district attorney’s office for possible charges on Black.

The press conference also included Terry Horne, Destry Horne’s oldest brother, who spoke of his brother’s extraordinary life and the family’s appreciation of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work and solving the murder.

Sheriff Hill also spoke of the three individuals’ criminal history, saying the judicial system failed the Horne family.

“These individuals, they have a record and I will tell you my personal feelings, you hear a lot of sheriffs talk about it, the judicial system let this family down,” Sheriff Hill said. “I won’t call them people. These are a bunch of thugs. (The judicial system) let this family down. These bunch of thugs should be in prison. They should still be in prison.”

Hill said it’s sad and he feels sorry for Horne’s family who has to grieve. He referred to Destry Horne as a hard working man who was just trying to provide for his family.

Visit tryondailybulletin.com as well as the weekend edition of the Bulletin for more details on the Thursday’s press conference.