Parents of 16 kids found slain in home

[Jenefer3]

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Investigators asked the public to be on the lookout Friday for a red van they believe carried three men involved in the deaths of a Florida Panhandle couple who were shot in their rural home while eight of their children slept.

Surveillance cameras showed the van at the home of Byrd and Melanie Billings in Beulah, a rural area west of Pensacola near the Alabama border, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said. The children were unharmed.

The sheriff's office released an enhanced but still grainy photograph of a red, 15-passenger van dating to the late 70s or early 80s.

Morgan said investigators did not know who killed the wealthy couple known for adopting children with developmental disabilities, many born to drug-addicted mothers.

Investigators are also awaiting autopsy results on the couple to learn more about the killings, he added.

Morgan said eight of the children, ages 8 to 14, were in the home when the couple was killed Thursday evening. A woman who lives in an outlying building and helps care for the children called emergency dispatchers from the home.

Deputies had to wake some of the children after they arrived, authorities said.

Investigators interviewed the children, who are now staying with other family members, Morgan said.

The Billings had 16 children, 12 of them adopted. They married 18 years ago and each had two children from previous marriages. The couple then began adopting children with developmental disabilities and other problems.

The couple owned several local businesses, including a finance company and a used car dealership.

In a 2005 story in the Pensacola News Journal, the couple said they wanted to share their wealth with children in need, but didn't imagine their family would grow so large.

"It just happened," Melanie Byrd told the newspaper. "I just wanted to give them a better life."

[jasmine]

I just read this..... so sad. They seem to be really good people for what they were doing for all of those children. I imagine the children will be deeply wounded by this.
I don't know why someone would do this~ sick people!!

[fairydana]

That is terrible.

[gmyers]

I wonder why the good people always get killed while the jerks and terrible live forever. These people were doing good for those kids.

[galeane29]

OMG! That is not far from where I live. I hardly turn on the local news anymore because of these type of stories. Those poor kids!

[galeane29]

http://www.pnj.com/article/20090711/...907110322/1006 (http://www.pnj.com/article/20090711/NEWS01/907110322/1006)

"Morgan said that about 7 p.m. Thursday night, three people arrived at the couple's Mobile Highway home in a late 1970s or early 1980s red van.

They forced their way into the house through separate doors and shot the couple, who reportedly were in their bedroom. Deputies were called to the scene about 45 minutes later, Morgan said.

Among the questions Morgan declined to answer:

• The ages, genders or other description of the three suspects, whom he described only as "white."

• If anything was taken from the home during the invasion.

• Footage recorded by video cameras, which were installed inside the home.

• If the couple knew the attackers.

• If there was more than one shooter"

(More at link)


"The Billings' home had an extensive video surveillance system, which had cameras recording almost every room, as well as parts of the driveway and yard.

Video released Friday shows the van and the suspects, all dressed in black, approaching the victims' house. The Sheriff's Office released still footage of the van, but not of the suspects."

[freeby4me]

I really really hope they crack this one wide open and fry those SOB's. This just doesnt make any sense at all, they sound like they were such wonderful people. May they rest in peace.

[YankeeMary]

Such a tragidy. I wonder if it was one of the adopted childrens birth family that had it done, or someone from their mortage business? No matter who, it is just terribly sad.

[gmyers]

Did they rob them or just kill them? I'm getting jaded. If they weren't robbed I hope it wasn't a hit on them. They were very rich and one of their kids not the adopted ones might have had it done for the money. I find it strange they didn't kill any of the kids or the woman that lived on the property that helped take care of the kids that were there only the parents. Reminds me of the menendez murders.

[SHELBYDOG]

Fourth suspect arrested in killing of Gulf Coast couple


PENSACOLA, Florida (CNN) -- A fourth suspect has been arrested in the shooting deaths of a Gulf Coast couple known for adopting special-needs children, authorities said late Monday.

Gary Lamont Sumner faces a murder charge for his alleged role in the deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings on Thursday, Escambia County, Florida, Sheriff David Morgan said.

Sumner was pulled over in a traffic stop in Okaloosa County Sunday and arrested after authorities found he matched a description put out by Escambia authorities.

Police believe six to eight people were involved in the homicides, which occurred in the couple's home in Beulah, west of Pensacola, near the Alabama state line.

The crime was "a very well-planned and methodical operation," Morgan said.

Wayne Coldiron, 41; Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr., 35, and Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr., 56, were arrested over the weekend. Coldiron and the younger Gonzalez face charges of murder, robbery and residential home invasion; the elder Gonzalez faces charges of evidence tampering for allegedly trying to disguise a vehicle spotted at the home.

Morgan said at least three others are persons of interests in the investigation.

"We expect more arrests to be imminent," Morgan told reporters.

Both of the Billingses were shot multiple times, Morgan said, but he would not release further details on their deaths.

Authorities released two surveillance tapes taken from the front and rear of the Billingses' home. Each shows a vehicle pulling up to the property, and five people dressed in black and wearing masks entering the home through two entrances -- including through a utility door left unlocked, something Morgan said is not uncommon in the community. Authorities believe drivers remained in both of the cars.

Investigators believe one motive in the deaths was robbery, but "we believe there are other motives," Morgan said. He would not say what, if anything, was taken from the home.

Melanie Billings' biological daughter, Ashley Markham, told reporters the couple initially had 17 children -- two biological children each for Byrd and Melanie Billings, with the rest adopted. Three have died over the years, she said. The couple had no biological children together. Watch Ashley Markham say, "Love was never scarce" in Billings home »

Morgan, however, said the couple had a total of 16 children, with two that have died and others that have grown older and no longer live in the Billingses' home.

Nine of the couple's children were home at the time of the incident, Morgan said, and police believe three of them saw the intruders. One managed to flee the home and seek help at a neighbor's house, the sheriff said.

Coldiron and the younger Gonzalez face charges of murder, robbery and residential home invasion; the elder Gonzalez faces charges of evidence tampering for allegedly trying to disguise a vehicle spotted at the home.

Coldiron and the younger Gonzalez were being held on $1 million bond, according to records posted on the sheriff's Web site. The senior Gonzalez was being held on $250,000 bond.

One of the first three arrested is believed to be the mastermind behind the crime, Morgan said, but would not say which one. Watch a report on the arrests in the complex case »

Police also released a surveillance photo taken at a Wal-Mart in nearby Gulf Breeze, Florida, recently. Two of them are Sumner and the younger Gonzalez, but authorities want to know who the other man is, Morgan said.

The sheriff called the surveillance tapes "chilling." He noted the vehicles were at the home less than 10 minutes, and the five people were in the house less than four minutes.

"It leads me to believe that this was a very well-planned and methodical operation," Morgan said.

Although the Billingses were well known in the community, the sheriff said authorities are still trying to unravel why they were targeted. He compared their deaths to the slaying of the Clutter family of Kansas, inspiration for Truman Capote's novel "In Cold Blood," noting the Clutter murders were something the community struggled with for years.

"It will be a very long time, I believe, until we piece together the truth of why this family was selected," Morgan said.

Police believe the suspects might have bought the clothes they wore to the home and were reviewing surveillance tapes and photos from several stores, he said.

Morgan said the crime's complexity is frustrating for investigators, comparing it to a complicated mathematics word problem that lacks complete information.

"It seems as though each phase we complete, while we answer a set of questions, it opens up an additional set of questions."

Earlier, he said the complete story, when revealed, is "going to be a humdinger."

Asked whether the suspects entered the home planning to kill the couple, Morgan said authorities do not know.

Markham said earlier the family does not know any of the three suspects. She said the children "are coping very well" and are being cared for.

"They haven't asked too many questions," she said, noting that several have disabilities. While the investigation continues, the family is keeping the children's whereabouts a secret.


http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/13/florida.couple.slain/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

[Jolie Rouge]

[b] Florida couple's slayings put spotlight on sheriff
Suspects trained before Fla. couple slain
Bill Kaczor, Associated Press Writer
9 mins ago

PENSACOLA, Fla. – A group of men charged in the slaying of a wealthy Florida couple known for adopting special needs children trained for at least a month to break into the couple's home, authorities said Wednesday.

Byrd and Melanie Billings were shot to death in their home near Pensacola last week by several intruders caught on surveillance cameras as they entered from the front and rear and left within 10 minutes. Seven men, including day laborers and an Air Force staff sergeant, are jailed in the case on charges including murder.

Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan told the CBS "Early Show" on Wednesday that the men prepared well in advance for the attack.

Morgan said investigators had "verified yesterday that this team, this group of people, had been in training at least 30 days, a month, prior to the execution of it at the Billings' compound."

Morgan also said investigators believe they know who shot the couple.

"We have identified, in fact, who participated or I should say was the active shooter in this case. We've been asked not to release that at this time," he told CBS.

Morgan has previously called the crime "a very well-planned and well-executed operation."

The sheriff has become the public face of the high-profile case by peppering his updates with ready-to-publish sound bites.

Morgan told a news conference on Sunday he was anxious to share more details about the case because "it's going to be a humdinger." The next day, he compared the killings to the 1959 slayings chronicled by Truman Capote in the book "In Cold Blood."

On Tuesday, after the last three of seven suspects were arrested, he stood in front of the cameras and hugged a sobbing daughter of one of the victims, saying he'd kept a promise made to her the night of the slayings.

"It is my honor today to tell you, Ashley ... we have found them and they are in custody," Morgan told Ashley Markham, one of four adult children from Byrd and Melanie Billings' previous marriages.

State Attorney Bill Eddins said he will ask a grand jury to indict all those arrested on first-degree murder charges in the Billings' shooting deaths.

Eddins said robbery was the main motive for the crime. A safe was taken, though authorities won't say what was in it. Morgan said there might be more arrests.

The suspects range in age from 16 to 56. Several were day laborers who knew each other through a pressure washing business and an auto detailer they worked for. One, Donnie Ray Stallworth, was with the Air Force Special Operations Command with an aircraft maintenance squadron at Hurlburt Field near Fort Walton Beach. It wasn't clear how he knew the others.

Stallworth had been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan five times since 2002, an Air Force spokesman said.

Authorities have said the suspects, some dressed as ninjas, stole a safe and other items during the break-in Thursday. Nine of the couple's 13 adopted children were home at the time. Three saw the intruders but were not hurt. Authorities would not say what was in the safe or what else was taken.

Leonard Gonzalez Jr., 35, was charged with murder and read a statement in court Tuesday proclaiming his innocence.

His father, Leonard Gonzalez Sr., 56, was charged with evidence tampering after authorities said he tried to cover up some damage on a red van seen on surveillance video pulling away from the house. Officials said the damage was unrelated to the crime.

Day laborer Wayne Coldiron, 41, is charged with murder. He sometimes worked for a pressure washing business owned by the elder Gonzalez.

The other suspects arrested were Gary Sumner, 31, a day laborer, 19-year-old Frederick Lee Thornton, and a 16-year-old whom officials are not naming because he is a minor.

Escambia County Judge Tom Johnson refused to set bail for the younger Gonzalez and Coldiron at the request of prosecutors. Johnson set their arraignments for Aug. 6. Bond for the elder Gonzalez had already been set at $500,000. The other suspects were due in court this week except for Stallworth, who must be extradited from Alabama, where he was arrested.

The case has thrust this military town into the spotlight, and its new sheriff hasn't shied away from the glare. He's given reporters ample time to ask questions at daily news conferences, and he appeared three days in a row on network television morning shows,

The blunt-talking Morgan, who was elected in November, spent 23 years with the Air Force security police before retiring as a major in 1994 at nearby Eglin Air Force Base. He then started a private investigation agency with his wife, Susan, a retired Air Force colonel.

Morgan, 56, stressed his military experience during the election campaign last year, first unseating an incumbent sheriff in the Republican primary and then a retired sheriff's lieutenant in the general election.

The native of Poplar Bluff, Mo., enlisted after high school. While in the service, he earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Southeast Missouri State University and a master's in business administration and management from Webster University near St. Louis.

Morgan said he learned to operate and manage large organizations while in the Air Force.

"I had some unique assignments in my military career where I had budgets far in excess of what I manage at the Escambia County Sheriff's Office and larger numbers of people," Morgan said.

The sheriff's office has 1,057 employee. Morgan said he managed as many as 7,000, including civil service and contract workers, while in the Air Force.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090715/ap_on_re_us/us_florida_couple_slain

[pepperpot]

I hope all of them get the death penalty (if available).....that's just horrid.