Linda, I am so on this with you. Have been reading and catching up here. But my thoughts are what if this is an eye for an eye kinda thing??
I am writing the next paragraph with the idea that JR is the mastermind behind this entire scenario.
We know JR set up all those myspace accounts with the fake politicians supporting him. Blasting the Herkel family for keeping his daughter Bella hidden from him. This was all on or around June 15th. If you look a few threads back someone (thanks for the post) wrote Melanie moods. It was only a few days later than the date of June 15th that she said she felt betrayed. See where I am going with this??? Next, he writes the Herkel family tells him he will need a pi to find Bella. The other night it took me less than 5 minutes to find the Herkel family address, business, a pic of Katie Herkel and all contact information. The Herkel home looks like a nice, clean and well kept neighborhood. Nothing sketchy there. JR just as easily could have obtained an attorney to fight to get custody of his daughter unless there is some underlying reason he wouldn't have been able to get her legally. The only other factor that comes to mind is MONEY. He would need money to pay for an attorney.
The next step in my reasoning. Those pics on myspace in my opinion offer a CLEAR connection between the Billings and Herkels, esp if that is Melanie's father. If Melanie's father is the grand-dad of Bella or of Katie Herkel (I need to go back and check this out) Then JR could have concoctted this entire thing starting back in June when he made these myspaces. It wasn't a simple thing, it was elaborate in how he made up fake pages for different local politicians. Though, so fake to our eyes. He would have known people would be looking into his life and low and behold look how "awful" the Herckels are and poor poor him. They stole his daughter etc etc..
So, now we have these myspace pages and who knows what kind of harrasment or contact in the meantime. Next, he recruits low-lifes to commit a "robbery" with him etc etc..Maybe some of them know the Billings and their wealth, maybe some other people have issues as well with them and that brings in the multiple motives. But mainly the motive being money to the recruits. maybe some of these other guys had no clue JR was actually going to murder M and B Billings. In any case, they go in get a safe and EYE FOR AN EYE because....in JR mind the Herkel family took HIS daughter, Bella and now he is taking their daughter or grandaughter - Mellody.
Guess I need to get sleuthing to find out if that is ACTUALLY Mellodys dad but it sure as heck looks like it!!!