Couple who adopted 12 children shot to death #1

[cleo612]

Does anyone have the link to the national database for registered SO's? It is "family something or other." Thank you in advance.

 

[cleo612]

Suzi, isn't he a PI?

 

[cleo612]

3 arrested in slaying of Florida couple; 2 charged with murder


PENSACOLA, Florida (CNN) -- Three suspects are in custody, including two who face murder charges, in what the local sheriff called a "multifaceted" investigation into the killings of a Gulf Coast couple known for adopting special-needs children.

Byrd and Melanie Billings were found shot to death Thursday night in their home near Pensacola, Florida.

Wayne Coldiron and Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr. are facing murder charges in the Thursday night shooting deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings, said Sheriff David Morgan of Escambia County.

Coldiron, 41, surrendered to investigators Sunday and Gonzalez was arrested in neighboring Santa Rosa County on Sunday evening, Morgan said.

Gonzalez's age was not immediately released.

The sheriff was in the middle of announcing Coldiron's arrest to reporters when detectives informed him that Gonzalez was in custody.

Morgan said the investigation has become "a window into something bigger," with multiple motives and multiple suspects. But he released few details.

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

In addition, Gonzalez's father, Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr., 56, has been arrested on evidence-tampering charges.

The elder Gonzalez is accused of trying to disguise a red Dodge van that surveillance cameras captured leaving the slain couple's home.

More at link...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/12/florida.couple.slain/index.html

 

[Lindadanette]

My town was shocked to learn a respected couple pillars of the community, active in church, civil & social circles were busted for a variety of felonies. They had businesses that "fed off each other" & were found to have nefarious dealings between the companies & other criminal activties that reached to another continent. They were one of the most well-to-do families in town. I know 3 generations of them....nice people, good people. Generous donations & charitable work can mask other qualities....... just saying .... relating a little about my town.

OH Boy - You really hit a chord there. I was visiting WS to post on the Sheri Coleman Murders because my son knew her in high school. I used to be a Joyce Meyer fan until she started spending too much time justifying her riches, face lifts, properties, cars, jets, boats, vacation getaways etc.

You start digging around in there and you find the very same thing you just described - a bunch of wagons circled to keep the money in and nosy investigators out. It's terrible, really, when the presentation is so appealing, but the fruit is rotten to the core. Because these people are doing really good works too. It seems to be a trend in certain circles.

I don't throw stones, I just look to see what's hiding under them

ETA - I am NOT saying this is true of the Billings, only that history has given me a reason to check out possible motives. (So please don't burn me at the stake )

 

[SuziQ]

Suzi, isn't he a PI?

I may have missed that. I thought that was just a theory because he is the one who requested the divorce papers in June?

 

[SeekingJana]

As a person who grew up in the state which seems to have part of the focus of the investigation of known suspects, I remember this:
There used to be a HUGE car fraud network operating across the state lines FROM Florida into both Georgia and Alabama.
The things I know that were done were odometer rollback tampering, title " cleaning up" such as selling a Florida flood damage totaled car with a bogus clean title in either GA or AL, and also many other totaled or undesirable cars like those from a chop shop with " whitewashed" titles coming up from Florida. I believe that in many cases, it was a well- organized and financed network of fraud.

Tons of car auctions were held at least weekly in Georgia and Alabama involving cars which were trucked in from northern Florida, with their origins all over Florida. I knew someone who wholesaled cars who went to the auctions and basically if it looked good on the surface and was a hot selling model, it didn't matter if the thing had set in the Everglades with a gator for 6 months, as long as it had a title, it was purchased if the price was right. And the price was right most of the time because of these shoddy factors.

I don't know if the practices and negative impressions have stopped or not, but when I lived in the part of the country embroiled in this apparently complex crime, one of the main red flags against purchasing a used car, even if low mileage and supposedly " clean" was if the VIN had been titled/ registered in Florida.

People used to ask about two areas of the country when purchasing a used car ( prior to internet services like Carfax) - FL because of the water/ storm damage frauds and " Up North" because Southerners were typically leery of cars which had been exposed to Northern ice and sleet and the road chemicals. Typically, the Northern cars were viewed as " rust magnets". These attitudes are still present in some areas without large dependable car dealerships offering certified pre-owned car sales.

Maybe some of the crimes involve not money laundering but car laundering.

Jana

 

[cleo612]

Suzi,

Linda posted this information at the following link.

Alan Guirguis - Hire a Hero? Located in Sarasota.

http://www.hireahero.org/person/3699...n-Guirguis.htm

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And this:

And, again, where did he get those pictures of his daughter (if it is indeed his daughter) if he hasn't been able to see her in 10 years? Stealth. The sheriff as much as said so. He's a black belt. Why would he say (in his MS blog) his M-I-L told him to hire a private detective? BTW - I think they may have in June - I've got to find that info on *advertiser censored**** Guirguis again.

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[SuziQ]

Suzi,

Linda posted this information at the following link.



Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - Couple who adopted 12 children shot to death

Thanks. I did see that, but I didn't see where he is a PI. It does sound like he might have been.

 

[cleo612]

I just checked the Florida and Georgia State Licensing websites for Private Investigators and did not see Guirguis listed.

I tried to find a similar website for Alabama, but could not locate one.

 

[Lindadanette]

If you page gown on this link - there's a picture of him

http://tinkerstewart.com/c99.htm

And then this picture on Lpatricks Myspace looks like it could be him too. . .

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...ndID=468734116&albumID=667285&imageID=3181242

That's why I was wondering where he came from!?!

I imagine we'll hear alot more from the Herks in the next couple of days! Especially if there's a media maven scoping WS for the MySpace story!!!!!! This one is as weird as it gets and I don't think we've got there yet.

 

[Lindadanette]

You know, if you look at his pictures, he didn't "make up" his family. . . they are real and beautiful little boys who look just like him. I think he has that narcissist trait that can't stand something being taken away from him. He was real busy making babies and staying sober (and seemingly doing ok at it) until June. Did he fall off the wagon or stop taking his meds? Something happened to "trigger" him. He says that his ex-wife remarried, I wonder when? (I would think in 2003 since that's when she pulled a copy of the divorce)

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...viewPicture&friendID=468734116&albumId=667285

 

[mikeysmommom]

You know, if you look at his pictures, he didn't "make up" his family. . . they are real and beautiful little boys who look just like him. I think he has that narcissist trait that can't stand something being taken away from him. He was real busy making babies and staying sober (and seemingly doing ok at it) until June. Did he fall off the wagon or stop taking his meds? Something happened to "trigger" him. He says that his ex-wife remarried, I wonder when? (I would think in 2003 since that's when she pulled a copy of the divorce)

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...viewPicture&friendID=468734116&albumId=667285

It might have been his grandmothers death.

 

[Lindadanette]

Oh my goodness, I've got to get some sleep or I'll be useless for the rest of the day!
I wonder what the next few hours will bring? I hope to read all about it (later) this morning Good night all.

 

[Lindadanette]

It might have been his grandmothers death.

I think that definitely started his decline. He and His uncle both make remarks about how some in the family have dealt with her passing and I read what his aunt wrote in her obituary guest book and it shocked me. She's the one who's the executor too. Maybe he was hoping for $ from her estate to help his cause?

 

[JustMe42]

I would really love to find out who Guirguis is and why he got the copy of divorce. I think finding that out will say alot. The myspace activity and all was in June. He seemed to really get busy in June. And........divorced after, what, five yrs, then Guirguis gets a copy of his divorce papers at the same time in June??????

 

[mikeysmommom]

http://www.pnj.com/article/20090713/NEWS01/907130326

comments by curious 79 seems like they know LP
Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr. changed his name a few years ago. His old name is Patrick Richmond Poff

 

[noZme]

I keep coming back to this: Sheriff Morgan said "numerous federal agencies" and law enforcement agencies in other states are involved in the case. He said suspects are being sought in other states..... humdinger... movie script.

If the feds are investigating, does that mean this could have ties to a terrorist group, illegal arms trading or some other subversive faction? Lindanette, I think, mentioned the clean-cut appearance of some of the characters... skin-heads possibly?

2:30 Eastern time & there are 84 of us still reading here... only 15 members. Why don't you other 69, sign up & join the discussion? WS is like AmEx, membership has it's privileges.

Lindadanett can you post a link to that guestbook?

 

[mikeysmommom]

I think that definitely started his decline. He and His uncle both make remarks about how some in the family have dealt with her passing and I read what his aunt wrote in her obituary guest book and it shocked me. She's the one who's the executor too. Maybe he was hoping for $ from her estate to help his cause?

Boy you sure have been looking everywhere LOL it gets addicting! Money is the root of all evil.

 

[cleo612]

I think that definitely started his decline. He and His uncle both make remarks about how some in the family have dealt with her passing and I read what his aunt wrote in her obituary guest book and it shocked me. She's the one who's the executor too. Maybe he was hoping for $ from her estate to help his cause?

Linda, I must have missed seeing the obituary guestbook. Do you have a link to this please? Thanks very much in advance!

 

[cleo612]

Doesn't it seem incredibly ironic that LPGJr has so many posts and blogs about wanting to bring his "missing" daughter, Bella, back home to live with him, yet he goes out and commits first-degree murder--and essentially negates any possible reconciliation with his daughter?