Byrd And Melanie Billings, Fla. Couple Who Adopted 12 Children, Found Slain

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."

Comments

[cocobelle]

While this story is tragic for the children, I can't help but to wonder what these adults were doing on the side? I don't believe for one second that one (if not both) adults were not involved with gambling or some other form of illegal/unsafe activity. And, apparently, I'm the only person in the world thinking this. Something just doesn't seem "right" in this story. There are plenty of "bad" people in the world-ruthless and uncaring-but for more than 5 people already connected to a single case? Did they owe someone money? What were they doing that they shouldn't have been doing?

[jmarsh1120]

This tragic crime entails multiple motives carried out in the course of murder. For those who are unaware, in capital felony cases which may result in the death penalty or life imprisonment, Florida courts ask juries to weigh the atrocity - the heinousness, evil, or depravity - behind the crime(s) at hand. While determining such a sensitive factor is unquestionably subjective, there is currently a scientific scale being developed with the input of the public across the world for the purpose of assisting juries when considering this factor. I strongly urge all those who wish to deliver justice to criminals such as those involved in this apalling crime to visit www.depravityscale.org and participate in the Depravity Scale survey.

My deepest regards are extended to the Billings family and the community of Pensacola.

[Hollyhock44]

Why are comments being made about topics other than the death of two outstanding people who cared for children who needed them? It's not about gun control;it is evil indivduals who murdered for their own gain. Survellience cameras caught the crime and the men doing it. I will be slammed--I know--for my beliefs--too much forgiveness for the criminals and no justice for the victims. Too many looking for rehabilitation instead of punishment so criminals keep on doing what they do. They can lay about in prison, work out, have sex, read in the library and live off the tax payers while they claim discrimination and demand another trial. Did you not see the police chief's interview last night? He was firm in the information that the van belonged to the men(man) arrested and they had the right killers, maybe more will be arrested. It's not about gun control, it's about punishing people so they next bunch might think twice. I have a hand gun purchased after I was raped in my own home by a man who was determined to do so. I guess you want me to sprinkle flowers and burn candles at the prison if he is ever caught. NO, I will not, no one will ever break into my home again and torture me. Some of the old-fashioned eye for an eye needs to be brought back. Don't start the mistaken identify whining. These men were identified on camera, no mistake.

[Matt7]

It is gratifying that most of the postings on these types of stories (there are several on HuffPo currently), are respectful and empathetic.

One additional note: so many people are saddened and horrified by the magnitude of this crime, because there were 12 children involved. The truth is that we should be equally outraged by each violent and untimely death that occurs in our nation. After all, everyone is SOMEONE's son or daughter, and their life is just as precious and necessary to someone.

The reality is that it would be too overwhelming for us to handle the shear volume. Solution: Perhaps we can do more to address the root cause of the violence, and/or ease the suffering of the victims.

[shag11]

God bless. Those were two beautiful and unusually kind-hearted people.

[samaire]

those 2 are in heaven now.

[45Caliber]

All one can do is pray that this did not involve any of the biological parents, being that some were drug addicted. I also hope that the children will continue to be cared for and loved by another member of their families, it would be a crime for them to be returned into child services after knowing what it was to be in a loving and caring environment.
45Caliber

[jefffG]

Did a similar murder (killing parents and ignoring the kids) not happen a few months ago ...perhaps on the west coast ? What the investigation pointed out since then?
I just remember The Huffington Post had reported about it when happened .

[TigersEye]

I hope they find the killers. What a sad, sad story.

[jabreal00]

That's the unfortunate thing about trying to help the disadvantaged. It's no fault of children but I am willing to bet that someone who had intimate knowledge of the children (possible relative or associates of relatives) perpetrated this awful crime.

[generationyes]

Shouldn't you wait until there's at least a shred of evidence before you start pointing fingers?

[EuroRant1]

The news story fails to mention that this warm and loving couple were "shot to death".

For all the crying, sorrow and concern here ... sorry but that doesn't do anything for me because I have become numb to all your empty gestures.

Byrd and Melanie Billings were two wonderful people "shot to death with guns". When are you people in America finally going to get angry enough to finally do something about your obsession guns and death. In no other nation is this type of senseless death tolerated day-in and day-out. I truly thought hat maybe after Columbine you people would finally grow a back-bone and do something. NOTHING.

So please, do us (living in foreign lands) all a favour and stop your crying and take all that energy and channel it to finally do something about this gun madness. Because if you don't ... long before your tears have dried from this senseless vain death of Byrd and Melanie Billings another henious and cruel gun murder will have taken place somewhere in America. Guns don't kill people ... People with guns kill people.

I am so sick, sick, sick of heart for those poor children and it doesn't have to happen anymore.

[NicasioKid]

Good point. We all share the grief, but not the outrage over how such a crime could so easily be perpetrated. I don't think it's just gun laws, though. Many Americans LIKE to shoot guns, and these are the ones who are effectively preventing laws to restrict gun purchase and use.

This is one of the saddest tragedies I've seen in a long time. Two really good people doing such a wonderful thing for these kids. It is so senseless.

[generationyes]

All points well-taken, except the part of the story not mentioning they were shot. That's in the first sentence.

[Thabor]

Apparently too numb to even think straight. There was murder before guns were ever created.. Crimes like this are tragic regardless of if a gun, knife, rock, or even bare hands were used. Violence creates weapons out of whatever is handy. So why don't do all of us a favor, and stop pretending your country is superior just because your wackos have different weapons of choice?

http://www.knifecrimes.org/uk-knife-crime-victims.html

[Janet Barnes]

FYI...many more people are killed in car accidents than in cases like this.

If you don't like America and our guns, then stay away.

Ask the Jews in Germany during WWII how they felt about having their guns taken away?

How about the killing fields in Cambodia?

How about the civilian deaths by Mao and Stalin against a defenseless populace.

Pick your poison. Earth is a dangerous place.

[EuroRant1]

You are correct ... Belgium does have some very terrible homicide statistics compared to others in the European Union:

Out of a population of 10 million +/- the average for the last 3 years was 1.24 % homides overall. Of those 0.41 % were created by firearms.

I guess I should stop pretending now ??? huh?

Thank you Thabor ... you've helped me to once again realize that I live in a great place ... My house is located in Brussels in a "rough" neighbourhood ... I don't even have a lock for my front door. (I grew up in South-Central LA where I went to bed each night to the sound of gunfire and thought that was "normal".)

[dphilip]

The dems won't pursue gun legislation because they know they will be voted out of office in the next election...end of story..

[Angie Tyne 1]

Do they not have murder in your country? I agree that guns can make this easy but if these particular people were determined enough to get into the house w/o waking the rest of the family then they probably would have used knives or bats if necessary. People who wish to do harm will find a way.

[elizlucinda]

I hope the children can all stay together in a loving nurturing atmosphere. May they rest in peace.

[RNAngel20]

I read that the parents brothers/sisters were going to take care of these kids and keep them together- I hope this was true. I just can't understand why these things happen.

[MadHeart]

ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. - Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said the department was flooded with calls starting Saturday morning. Residents giving any information they had after a picture was released of the car deputies say is linked to the murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings. Finally one of the tips paid off.

"Once we had located the van, developed an address where the van was registered, interviews then led up to two persons of interest, as you know we are looking for a total of three," Sheriff Morgan said.

Morgan said the owner of the van is not one of the two persons of interest.

"The van was being utilized by someone other than the owner," Morgan explained.

The story goes on to say one of the two persons is related to the van owner, and there were security cameras inside the house, although they would not comment on whether anything was taken.

[MadHeart]

This is a horrible story. But notice that some of the children were born to "drug-addicted mothers." I would bet that a lot of these kids were adopted with the parents knowing where they were. In the world of drug addiction, there are many criminal types, and it wouldn't be too far fetched to think that someone in that world knew this couple had money and decided that since they had enough to care for all those children, they would just get their share, too, no matter what it took.

I just hope these children are now taken care of as well as they seemed to be with that couple. It's very, very sad that so many people never develop enough of a conscience and can actually put drugs before their children, not to mention their own well being. It's a horrible life, no matter how some try to glamorize it.

[greylox]

**It's just as likely that these two people were attacked for MONEY. They were quite wealthy.

[AuntiepoppyCock]

Wow the world will miss people like Byrd and Melanie Billings. I hope the killers are brought to justice immediately... How could anyone do something so cold and cruel?