Byrd And Melanie Billings Murder: 2 Held On Murder Charges In Killing Of Florida Couple With 16 Children

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Two men were held late Sunday on open murder charges in the slaying of a wealthy Florida Panhandle couple known for adopting children with developmental disabilities.

Day laborer Wayne Coldiron turned himself in to Escambia County authorities and Leonard P. Gonzalez Jr. was arrested in neighboring Santa Rosa County, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said.

Earlier Sunday, 56-year-old Leonard P. Gonzalez Sr. was charged with evidence tampering. Police said he 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 while eight of their children slept.

Coldiron, who was known to work with area car dealers, was friends with the elder Gonzalez, Morgan said.

More arrests are expected.

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 three apparently experienced criminals swiftly slipping into the house before leaving and driving off in the red van. 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, though the companies the Billingses owned included a used car dealership.

"We are very anxious to share this story ... it's going to be a humdinger, I'll tell you that," he said earlier in the day.

Officials still haven't said why the family was targeted. Police also have not said whether anything was stolen from the home, which had nine bedrooms to accommodate the large family. The children who were there during the killings, ages 8 to 14, were interviewed by police and are now staying with other family members.

"Motive and motives in this investigation are still being developed," Morgan said after announcing the arrests of Coldiron and the younger Gonzalez.

The Billings had 16 children, 12 of them adopted.

They married 18 years ago and each had two children from previous marriages. They eventually started adopting children with developmental disabilities and other problems.

The house was carefully designed to accommodate the children, according to a 2005 story in the Pensacola News Journal. A camera was in every room, and the driveway was long to keep the kids from running into the street. A large swimming pool behind the house was gated.

The couple told the newspaper they wanted to share their wealth with children in need, but didn't imagine their family would grow so large.

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

Coldiron was expected to appear in court Monday. Because the younger Gonzalez was arrested in a neighboring county, he will have to appear there first.

They were charged with open murder because the investigation is ongoing and more charges may be added, Morgan said.

Bond for the elder Gonzalez was set at $250,000. A message seeking comment was left at a phone number listed for him in the Pensacola area.

Comments

[cdlc06]

02:29 PM on 07/22/2009

If I am reading the article correctley, these children were ADOPTED. Not foster children. Big difference. Once these children were adopted the government has no responsibility for theire medical bills.

[AKRealist]

05:11 PM on 07/19/2009

Lmassey is being more than a little misleading about finance. ALL medical bills for special needs foster kids are fully paid for through medicaid. It includes all prescriptions, all medical devices, all medical visits, hospitalizations, dental and optical bills.

With large foster families; you can make a lot of $$$. You have zero medical bills, dental bills, etc. The kids are enrolled in food stamp programs for a few hundred a month each before they even arrive at your home. Unfortunately, nowhere near the full amount is usually spent on their food and the rest is cash for the foster business owners to misappropriate.

The Florida stipend (cash payment per month for incidentals) is $1500+ per month per special needs child. It's intended to cover the "additional" utility bills and clothing for the kids. They were taking in at least $16,000 a month in cash ABOVE all medical expenses and food.

Make no mistake; those kids paid for their McMansion. There are good and not good foster family homes. What kind of home they had may not even come out in the news. The family had some money from the father's work but it doesn't appear to have been nearly enough to afford the lifestyle they had.

There's also something VERY suspicious and creepy about them having cameras in every room. Businesses have cameras inside but homes do NOT.

[RZoe]

10:41 PM on 07/15/2009

I have a daughter with Down syndrome and a mental illness overlay - 40% of all people with Down syndrome have this adjunct condition that sets in at about age 8 and complicates the ability to learn as well as causing severe behavioral issues. She is very sweet and very difficult and as a single parent I have had to hire someone full time to help me raise her. And this is only one special needs child.

Anyone who has the kindness and love in their hearts to adopt and care for special needs children has a special place in heaven (I am NOT a religious person but I firmly believe this). When I learned of the murder of this wonderful couple, it broke my heart because of the loss to the special children they extended their home and hearts to.

[Lmassey]

10:03 PM on 07/13/2009

There are some people who evidently don't understand that the care of development challenged kids are TRIPLE the work, the worry, and cost of medical care. For the ones who think that $1,000 a month is alot for a development challenged kid, that doesn't even begin to cover half the stuff they need. I have a brother who has Down's Syndrome and in a typical month $1,000 barely covers his medications. Plus 12 of those children were pretty much orphans. I give these 2 people alot of credit for taking on not just one or two but 12 of them! And now, the kids lives are going to change forever due to these 2 imbeciles. These 2 guys just disrupted these kids lives and some may not be able to deal with the concept of death. So in my personal opinion, these 2 morons deserve to die the way they killed the parents of those 16 kids.

[boynxtdoor]

01:56 PM on 07/13/2009

The couple was just on loan. They went back to heaven. Our loss is heaven's gain. May their demise bring forth more materially endowed people to share their blessings.

Peace

[edgraham]

02:44 PM on 07/13/2009

W T F

[boynxtdoor]

09:11 PM on 07/13/2009

Just can't help wondering why people find it easy to believe in ahmadinejad's tirades against democracy, bu$h's lies to justify torture and a lot of evil things yet find it so hard to believe in the existence of good and just God.

Peace.

[DanmaxKL]

12:53 PM on 07/13/2009

Looking back in hindsight asking whether they should have kept a gun,is really missing the point here. Where I come from the idea of keeping a gun in order to protect oneself and one's family is not part of the public discourse. That's because of very strict gun laws,therefore gun crime is not as prevalent as in the US.
But when all is said and done,two people have lost their lives for no apparent reason. Questions ,about the type of society that allows this sort of thing on an almost daily basis,need to be asked. Politicians need to really understand what it means to 'have a duty of care 'towards those who vote and pay their taxes. This is a clear example of why the US needs comprehensive gun control laws. It's quite simple(for all the simpletons out there),the harder you make it for people to get guns,fewer criminals would be able to get hold of them. It really isn't rocket science.

[thehoopoe]

01:04 PM on 07/13/2009

Yeah, I'm from a place where you can have a gun for sport ( never an assault weapon) BUT YOU HAVE TO STORE IT AT A GUN CLUB AND YOU CAN ONLY USE IT THERE FOR TARGET PRACTICE. No problems with gun violence.

I get that it that "people kill people", but why make so damn easy?

[thehoopoe]

12:39 PM on 07/13/2009

This is so strange and tragic. This couple sound like the kind of people we really need in the world.

[DanmaxKL]

12:28 PM on 07/13/2009

Some of the remarks regarding this post really beggar belief...I sometimes wonder if certain people on here know what time of day it is..really!. With regard to the heinous crime that was visited on this caring and generous couple,may I suggest that comments are kept respectful and dignified. The losers and deadbeats that commited this crime will surely be tried and swiftly sent to their maker. Yes,darn it! an eye for an eye...

[mapleaforever]

12:24 PM on 07/13/2009

People who give back to society should have a special place in heaven. "F" the rich does not apply to these wonderful people. I am saddened.

[thehoopoe]

12:41 PM on 07/13/2009

They weren't just money rich, they put it to very good use and were rich in every sense of the word.

If only everyone else rich would emulate them. Trickle down might just work. ( I'm not advocating that).

[ewekalane]

11:59 AM on 07/13/2009

may God bless you guys in heaven as you did to others on earth, angels that would be miss.

[steamboat]

10:39 AM on 07/13/2009

Death penalty warranted in this case.

[samaire]

10:25 AM on 07/13/2009

LadyCaca, you have issues. These people had their own money, they were wealthy and wanted to SHARE their wealth and happiness with children whom no one else would adopt--developmentally disabled children They were probably murdered for money.

[ClassyCynic]

10:22 AM on 07/13/2009

So glad I won't hear bozo Bill O'Reilly go on and on about immigrant workers committing heinous crimes - as if they all do this all the time ... don't get FOX on cable where I am :):):)

[Flavor]

10:32 AM on 07/13/2009

Me too, look we have crime because bad people do bad things, white, black, hispianic, indians, asians, ect... crime is no respector of persons it does not care what color you are, if you choose it you can become a part of it it does not discriminate.

[ttyy]

10:35 AM on 07/13/2009

He probably won't say anything at all. After all, they are white. He can't think of anything bad to say.

[Flavor]

10:08 AM on 07/13/2009

Why? do some think that everyone benefits from the government, how come people can't just love children, without someone trying to say that its all for the money, there are enough politicians out there you can throw that wet towel to but not on this couple, leave them and there family alone.

[Flavor]

09:23 AM on 07/13/2009

Someone said if this family had practice family planning there would not be so many kids left, I am so glad to know that these children were able to see someone can love you (unconditional). First, if we will keep these murderers in jail where they belong then these children would have their parents. Second, these children were adopted, these are children that have the hardest time getting adopted because of their disability. To say if the parents practiced family planning, give me a break!!!! I commend any family who decides to adopt children who need to be (loved) and shows it to these babies unconditional. Most of the time the babies are given up for adoption because of their disability, so I commend those who love these babies, if you want to be conditional don't adopt because these children need to be loved. Period.