Byrd and Melanie Billings: Parents to 12 adopted kids found slain

[coffee achiever]

This one is KILLING me:

Beulah, FL - The Escambia County Sheriff's Office is searching for three men they say shot and killed the mother and father of 16 children during a home invasion/robbery.

According to deputies, Byrd and Melanie Billings were shot just before eight Thursday night at their home on Mobile Highway in the Beulah Community. Beulah is about 17 miles northwest of Pensacola, near the Alabama/Florida state line.

Investigators say eight of the children, ages 8-14, were home when the couple was shot. One of the kids heard the gunshots and called a family friend. Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Ted Roy says one of them parents was shot in the head. Autopsies have not been completed.
The Billings have 16 children; 12 of them adopted, some of whom have special needs.

Deputies are looking for the red, full size van seen in these photos and three white males. The house did have a security surveillance system. Deputies say they could be releasing some of the surveillance video later today.

More from CNN

The victims were identified as Byrd and Melanie Billings by Jeff Martin, director of the District Medical Examiner's Office. Autopsies have not been completed, he said.

The Billings have 16 children; 12 of them adopted, some of whom have special needs, the Pensacola News Journal reported.

Nancy Markham, a relative of the family, told CNN affiliate WEAR-TV that her son was inside the Billings' home when the shootings occurred.

"He said that Bud and Melanie had, both of them had been murdered," Markham said.

Emergency personnel and police went to the home Thursday night after receiving a call just before 8 p.m. about shots being fired, Roy said. An employee of the couple found their bodies, he said.

When police arrived they discovered the children also in the house, he said. The children, who ranged in age from infant to about 11 years old, were unharmed, he said.

I'm heartbroken for those kids. So many of them without parents now... it'll be difficult, if not impossible, to keep them together, and the ones with special needs will probably suffer the loss the most.

There is no punishment harsh enough for whoever did this.

[coffee achiever]

The Pensacola News Journal did a profile on the Billings family in 2005. It can be found here:

http://www.pnj.com/article/20090710/NEWS01/907100342

While planning a future together, Byrd and Melanie agreed that they wanted to adopt.

But never did they think their family would grow so large.

"It just happened," Byrd said with a shrug.

Melanie began to search for children with disabilities because she wanted a companion for Nikki. But then it became a mission to care for children with no one else to care for them.

"I just wanted to give them a better life," Melanie said.

People like this are SO rare. Just beyond tragic.

To make sure all their children are accounted for, Melanie, Byrd and Gwen are forever counting heads.

For extra protection, the driveway has a sensor and the house is fully alarmed. When a door is opened, a beep is sounded and an adult checks to make sure a child has not stepped out.

The house also has a camera in every room. Thirty days of footage from each camera is constantly retained.

"We have a lot of adults who come in and out of the house," Byrd said when asked about the cameras. "It also helps when the kids are fighting and someone said they were pushed by so and so."

Hopefully they've still got that - if so, LE should have no problem getting some good ID on the killer(s).

[Athena]

There is no punishment harsh enough for whoever did this.

Hear, hear. The callousness is difficult for me to even comprehend.

[jus shaking my head]

So very sad.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

[AngelFire]

OMG, 16 kids left orphaned by two asswipes. Why would anyone do that?

[AngelFire]

That picture is just heartbreaking. They seemed like a loving couple. What a loss

[coffee achiever]

Pictures of the family, from Pensacola News Journal:

http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/sec...7100327&Ref=AR

http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/sec...7100342&Ref=AR

And more on the tragedy:

http://www.pnj.com/article/20090710/NEWS01/907100327

No motive has been established. Morgan said the suspects forced their way into the sprawling home through multiple entrances.

Janice Thomas, circuit administrator for the Florida Department of Children and Families, said that as of this morning, her agency has not been contacted about becoming involved in the Billings’ case or taking over the care of the couple’s minor children.

“We are aware the children are all with relatives.” Thomas said.

...

School bus driver Yvonne Hahn said she has driven the Billings family children to school for 20 years, and she rushed to the Billings home after she heard of the murder last night.

“I went out there as soon as I heard,” Hahn said. “The kids are really attached to me. They’ve ridden on my bus ever since they came here. I kept asking the police to let me in because I could comfort the children. They just kept saying no.”

Hahn said she stayed at the home until after 1 a.m., and she visited with three of the children as they were leaving with a relative.

“They seemed alright, but they were upset,” Hahn said. “Matthew said that his mom and daddy got shot and killed, and they didn’t have a mom and daddy now,” Hahn said. “I said, ‘Yeah, they did honey, but they’ll always be your mommy and daddy,” Hahn said.

“Katie just kept hugging me. She has Down syndrome, and she can’t talk, but she just kept hugging me,” Hahn said.

...

The Billingses were featured in a Christmas Day story in the Pensacola News Journal in 2005 (the one I linked above - CA). At the time, the couple were the proud parents of 16 children. Twelve were adopted — among them, children of drug users, children who were sexually abused and children with developmental disabilities. Six of the 12 had Down syndrome. Two had died.

Nancy Markham, 60, whose son, Blue Markham, is married to the couple’s daughter, Ashley, said the Billingses were "good people."

“What do you say?” asked Markham of Pensacola. “Good gracious. They were very good people. I don’t know what’s going to happen to those children.”

[Lavonna]

that is very sad. I hope they find who did it.. I hope those kids will be okay and that they all find someone who will take them in and love them.

[Persephonae]

This is breaking my heart. I have such respect and admiration for people who take on so much out of love. A great loss.

[Silvahalo]

The children

Justin, 16

A sophomore at Tate High School, Justin asked to share a middle name with younger brother Nicholas, 4, and has a special bond with him.

Adrianna, 7

A second-grader at Beulah Elementary, Adrianna plays mother to her younger siblings by telling them what to do, bringing them food and helping them put their shoes on.

Jacob, 6

A first-grader at Escambia Westgate Center, Jacob gives hugs to the four bus drivers who pick up his siblings every morning.

Matthew, 6

A kindergartner at Lipscomb Elementary, Matthew is a miracle baby who learned to walk despite doctors telling his parents that he never would.

Ricky, 5

A pre-K student at Sid Nelson Center, the independent Ricky likes to keep to himself.

Tori, 4

A pre-K student at Sid Nelson Center, Tori's parents ask every day what she would like to be called. Her choices include "Cinderella" and "Princess."

Nicholas, 4

A pre-K student at Escambia Westgate Center, Nicholas loves school and his teachers.

Katie, 3

A pre-K student at Escambia Westgate Center, Katie is stubborn. As soon as she arrives in her classroom, she immediately takes off her shoes and socks. If they're put back on, she takes them off again.

Ethan, 20 months

Ethan, who has Down syndrome, recently started walking.

Emma, 10 months

Emma, who has Down syndrome, recently said "momma" for the first time.

Ashley, 23

Melanie Billings' elder biological daughter graduated from Florida State University and runs the family's businesses.

Nikki, 21

Melanie Billings' younger biological daughter suffers from cerebral palsy and autism. It was through caring for Nikki that Melanie was prompted to seek out other disabled children.

What does it take to run a household with so many people?

Routine, routine, routine, said Melanie Billings, a mother of 16.

Everyone is up by about 5 a.m. Helpers are assigned to help some of the younger children dress. Cereal is prepared assembly-line style. Macaroni and cheese is a family favorite for dinner. In the dining room, high-chairs are lined up for the babies. Lights out by about 7 p.m. Every Sunday afternoon, the most well-behaved children can go to the movies.

Here's a look at the numbers involved when 13 people live in the same house:

Bedrooms: 9.

Bathrooms: 6.

Washing machines: 2.

Dryers: 2.

Loads of laundry: Nonstop.

Refrigerators: 2.

Trips to Sam's Club warehouse: Twice a month.

Trips to grocery store: Three times a week.

Bread: 10 loaves a week.

Cereal: 1 boxes a day.

Juice: 1 gallons a day.
Related articles


I can't even begin to imagine the complete devastation that has marked these children and all those who loved Bryd and Melanie.

[Silvahalo]

The Angels.


To one of the most giving and loving people I have ever read about. Hearts of gold. Byrd and Melanie will be terribly missed. They leave behind many children who will never be the same with out them. Rest in peace. Angels on earth now angels in heaven.

[runecire]

Two of the best are now with the rest. I imagine keeping the siblings together in the future is going to be difficult. I hope they will be able to forget the horror and remember the good times.

Rest in peace, Byrd and Melanie. You were taken long before you were needed elsewhere.

[MissKerosene]

This is just one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever read! This beautiful couple gave all they had for those beautiful children and in my opinion they are ranked above most humans on this planet for their dedication, commitment and love.

I am sure they are at peace because if any deserves it they do! And I hope their children will find happiness,love and joy as well as carry the memories of the most loving parents! RIP sweet angel parents you will always be an inspiration let your legacy spread into many hearts.

[eliz1bef]

This makes me just so sick on so many levels. These people were targeted. This wasn't random. What was there to gain from re-orphaning a bunch of helpless handicapped children? Who could possibly benefit from this horrific crime?

I know that it's an impossibility, but I wish that there was some way to keep those kids together. They aren't just going to lose their parents in this, they will lose all of their siblings, too, in order to find placements. This isn't a single tragedy; this will likely play out horribly for years to come. These people didn't just murder those parents; they've victimized these kids who have already been victims for the rest of their lives.

Coffee-achiever said it best. There is NO punishment enough for this. None.

Why couldn't it have been that insufferable John and Kate or Octomom?

[Unamused Cat]

I wonder if they knew the person(s) who killed them. Those poor children.

[MadeaBecBec]

The Billings home (http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=8053907&page=1)
A home that was made beautiful by the people that lived there, such lovely hearts, all mingled....
I pray for them all, to be given the same strength and courage, to carry on what the Billings started in their home....

Investigators searched Friday for three men wanted for questioning about the Thursday night home-invasion deaths of the mother and father of 16 children.

[~Absynthe~]

they are at home with bailey now.

[MC30]

The Angels.


To one of the most giving and loving people I have ever read about. Hearts of gold. Byrd and Melanie will be terribly missed. They leave behind many children who will never be the same with out them. Rest in peace. Angels on earth now angels in heaven.

[coffee achiever]

Here's something interesting... the full article has been archived, so all I could get was the excerpt from Google's search result:

WOMAN SOLD BABY BOY FOR $2,100, POLICE SAY

Jun 15, 1989 A debt-ridden Pensacola woman has been charged with selling her newborn boy for $2,100, and others who may have been involved in the transaction remained under investigation, deputies said Wednesday. Vickie Lynn Taylor, 29, was arrested Tuesday on charges of violating adoption laws and furnishing fraudulent information for a birth certificate, said Escambia County Sheriff's Cpl. Tom O'Neal. She is free on $3,250 bond. Taylor allegedly had prenatal care at Sacred... She listed the father's name as Byrd Billings and later told authorities the deception was to allow Reeve and Billings to claim the child as their own...

How many Byrd Billings can there be in Florida? Anyone got a newsbank archive account?

ETA: Cindy Reeve was Byrd Billings first wife. HAD to have been them.

[jus shaking my head]

Here's something interesting... the full article has been archived, so all I could get was the excerpt from Google's search result:

Makes you wonder.

[MadeaBecBec]

Double posted.... My crazy pc, I guess.....
And the Billings, both had been married before I have a newspaper archive acct. I'll go see what the full article says.... Still, Byrd was helping children, even then.....

[malq]

PENSACOLA, Florida (CNN) -- Detectives are questioning two people in connection with the killing of a Gulf Coast couple known for adopting special-needs children, the Escambia County sheriff said Saturday.
Police were questioning two people Saturday, one of them the owner of a red van seen driving from the home.



Investigators have found a red Dodge van recorded on surveillance cameras leaving the Beulah, Florida, home of Byrd and Melanie Billings, who were found dead in their home Thursday, Sheriff David Morgan said.

"Interviews with associated neighbors, friends and family" led to a relative of the van's owner and another person, who were being questioned Saturday evening, the sheriff said.

No arrests have been made, and Morgan would not discuss whether the "persons of interest" had any connection to the Billings family. But the sheriff said investigators can tie the pair "to enough significant events and instances in this case that would lead a reasonable person to believe that they have an association with these murders."

A third person sought for questioning had not been found, Morgan said.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/11/...led/index.html

[Coyote]

They just announced that one arrest has been made in the killings, but no other details at this time.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/12/...ain/index.html

[Silvahalo]

Thanks Coyote.

(CNN) -- A Florida man has been arrested on evidence-tampering charges in connection to the killings of a Gulf Coast couple known for adopting special-needs children, a case that has become increasingly "multifaceted," authorities said Sunday.

Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr., 56, is accused of trying to modify a van that surveillance cameras captured leaving the slain couple's home, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan told reporters.

He is the first person arrested in connection with the Thursday night shooting deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings, "hopefully with many to follow," Morgan said.

Morgan called the investigation "a humdinger" that has become "a window into something bigger," with multiple motives and players involved. But he would provide no details.

"I know this sounds like we're talking in circles," he said. "But at this point, we cannot release that information, because those circles have not been completed."

Gonzalez is not charged with killing the couple, who had eight children ranging in age from infancy to 11 years when they were killed.

Instead, he is charged with trying to alter the appearance of the red Dodge van that surveillance cameras spotted leaving the Billings home in Beulah, west of Pensacola, on Thursday night.
[...]
Gonzalez was one of two people picked up for questioning Saturday night. Neither Morgan nor the local prosecutor, State Attorney Bill Eddins, would characterize his cooperation with investigators.

[MichaelJCheaney]

I will now go on record as predicting (SADLY) that this was a hit....

Any time the words "Bigger than anyone anticipated" And Humdinger (Who in the hell says Humdinger nowadays anyway?) are used to describe a crime, its a hit.

It will be interesting to see who ordered it, and why.

[coffee achiever]

I hate to say it, but I'm gonna guess it's one of their older kids.

[MichaelJCheaney]

I hate to say it, but I'm gonna guess it's one of their older kids.

I think you have a 50-50 shot at being right.

However it does sound like based on comments left a PNJ.com (The Pensacola Newspaper) that plenty of other people had motive. (Now I do realize that it could just be people shooting off their mouths and speculating and having no idea what they are talking about...)

But it does sound like they were known in the community and an ex-business partner is the one name that seems to be coming up the most....

We shall see in the next few days...

[justjn]

This story hits way too close to home. Pensacola is my home town, I still have lots of family there and I went to one of the schools that was mentioned in one of the articles,my cousin works for the hospital mentioned. I didn't know these people but it is terribly sad none the less. Where will these kids go? Will they ever know love like they knew before this happened? There's so many questions as to who and why this was done. But ultimately the children are the ones to suffer. It is just heartbreaking.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Two men arrested on murder charges in the slaying of a Florida couple who adopted a dozen children with developmental disabilities went to their house intending to burglarize it, according to arrest warrants.

The suspects were due in court Monday, a day after they were arrested by authorities probing the shootings. Day laborer Wayne Coldiron, 41, turned himself in to Escambia County authorities and Leonard P. Gonzalez Jr., 35, was arrested in neighboring Santa Rosa County, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said.

Earlier Sunday, authorities charged Gonzalez's father, Leonard P. Gonzalez Sr., with evidence tampering. Police said the 56-year-old tried to paint over and hide damage on a red van that was spotted on surveillance video leaving the home where Byrd and Melanie Billings were shot to death Thursday.
[...]

"We were very surprised by the rapidity of this operation. It was carried out with military precision, I'll tell you that," he said.

More arrests are expected, and more charges could be added for those already in custody.

The elder Gonzalez told investigators that he was the getaway driver and waited in the van while the others broke into the Billings' house and burglarized it, according to warrants released late Sunday. He also told police several other men were involved.

The surveillance video shows three armed, masked suspects arrive in the van, enter the house and then return to the vehicle, the warrants said.

The Billings were killed in their spacious, nine-bedroom home in a rural area west of Pensacola near the Alabama state line. The house had an extensive surveillance system that authorities said captured the break-in. Tips from the public led police to the van Saturday.

Morgan said the investigation involves a complex web of relationships between suspects, though he declined to elaborate on them. He said it did not appear that the suspects knew the victims. The younger Gonzalez and Coldiron are friends, the warrants said.

"We are very anxious to share this story ... it's going to be a humdinger, I'll tell you that," Morgan said Sunday.
[...]

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/nation/story/947439.html