Couple who adopted 12 children shot to death #1

[Sleuthster]

I have to say it traumatized me to see someone arrested for a hainious crime openly bragging about killing da hattas.

It is not our intention to hurt anyone but to bring out information that could be important to this case.

I mean no disrespect but I would not let a 13 yo on here. There is detailed information on this website about many horrible crimes.

 

[FromFL]

While I know you intend no harm and certainly this crime is horrible beyond words, much of your speculation and certainly your digging into myspace & facebook links and posting links of other family members -is very hurtful. Its unfortunate, but the persons being charged in these crimes also had innocent family associations and with this being all over the media, friends and others are doing web searches that are turning up speculation and pictures of those that are innocent and grieving and scared. I understand sleuthing, but I have spent the last day consoling family members who happened upon this web site and your speculations. It has done a lot of damage. Much of what you posted may have been "public" but it wasn't something a 13 year old knew until you blasted it here. Take a care. Many are being hurt.

Without getting into a battle with you I will quote what you said that It has done a lot of damage. Much of what you posted may have been "public" but it wasn't something a 13 year old knew until you blasted it here.

You are quite correct in that there has been a lot of damage, however, those innocent people you refer to still have LIVING FAMILY members. Whether they want to believe their LIVING FAMILY members did it or not, is up to them and a jury. However, the innocent friends and family of the two DEAD FAMILY members can't be consoled quite as easily.

I did not know any one directly involved, so my anger is directed at people wanting justice and salvation for people who commit these heinous crimes and could care less about the victims. But to leave your Myspace and Facebook profiles PUBLIC -and- to blatantly pretty much BRAG about what you are going to do or did do, is your own stupidity.

 

[Texana]

I don't think a 13 y/o should be allowed access to true crime websites without some assurance the young teen could handle it. My older daughter was researching Jon Benet at that age; my younger daughter who is 13 would not handle it well at all.

Websites like this are for speculation and discussion. As long as the victims are not being attacked, that is acceptable.

Unfortunately, family members always pay the price when their loved ones are caught up in a scandal or crime. Trust me. You're lucky if people in your home town or neighborhood don't bring it up to your face.

 

[daisy7]

This thread is not about bashing Morgan - this is about the murders of the Billings.

 

[lucygail]

LET?? a 13 year old... be for real. Helping the case?? I didn't realize you people were licensed detectives.
Do you think for a moment that the victims family would find the speculations you've posted here "uplifting"? do you think those children would read all this and Say Yeah! I mean ... gee that baby favors this guy and wow, her last name is byrd and his first name is byrd and gee maybe they were adopted..
I believe in freedom of speech, but don't kid yourself that this is anything other than a big huge gossip site.
helping the case...give me a break.

 

[Gypsy Road]

Morgan gets a round of applause from me.

Me too, Suzy! He is a stand up guy who was elected in Nov. 2008. He replaced Ron McNesby (who was beginning to be a bit controversial and who I believe had a shady side). Morgan is really cleaning up the force. Someone told me that when he came into office one of the first things he did was go down to the city/county to see who on his force owed money to the city (parking tickets/fines/etc) and made those officers pay up or else. This may sound like a small thing, but McNesby didn't care if his employees were delinquent in paying their fines/parking tickets. I mean - how can you write a parking ticket if you aren't even paying the ones you received yourself! I'm talking about sheriff's deputies here! Anyway, from all I know about him - I think he'll do a fine job for Escambia County!

sorry - o/t

 

[SuziQ]

A related 13 year old should not have been allowed to be on the internet at all during this. But that would only be a temporary bandaid since the national media is talking about the info we have as well. You can't stop the truth from coming out. And hearts will be broken. But that is not our fault. That fault lies in the adults who chose to make the decisions they did and never gave a thought as to how this will effect there families.

My heart goes out to all the children caught up in this mess.

 

[Sleuthster]

LET?? a 13 year old... be for real. Helping the case?? I didn't realize you people were licensed detectives.
Do you think for a moment that the victims family would find the speculations you've posted here "uplifting"? do you think those children would read all this and Say Yeah! I mean ... gee that baby favors this guy and wow, her last name is byrd and his first name is byrd and gee maybe they were adopted..
I believe in freedom of speech, but don't kid yourself that this is anything other than a big huge gossip site.
helping the case...give me a break.

Are u for real??

 

[mom23gr8kids]

LET?? a 13 year old... be for real. Helping the case?? I didn't realize you people were licensed detectives.
Do you think for a moment that the victims family would find the speculations you've posted here "uplifting"? do you think those children would read all this and Say Yeah! I mean ... gee that baby favors this guy and wow, her last name is byrd and his first name is byrd and gee maybe they were adopted..
I believe in freedom of speech, but don't kid yourself that this is anything other than a big huge gossip site.
helping the case...give me a break.

You know what you're making me angry!

#1 I'm not a family member but have been friends with Melanie and Bud for many years.

Did I find everything here uplifting that had been said about them? No but you know what I did? I came in here and presented these people with the truth! I told them the things they didn't know about my friends. That is how friends and families of the victims handle it.

Now as for letting a 13 year old? You bet your bottom dollar my 13 yr old won't go on any websites I don't allow. That is what discretion and parental controls are for.

I'm very sorry for you if you have lost control of your child already at 13 because boy are you in for some tough teenage years to come.

I have three kids, one barely a preteen. And I am the parent, I control what they do, where they go, what they see, and what they read. That is MY job.

Sad you don't seem to view that as your job.

 

[Lindadanette]

But, why even do a search for them in the first place? Why did they pick them instead other wealthier families (not gonna list other family names)?

LE said that there were "multiple motives" - Robbery was the obvious, but something else is going on too. LPatrick is psycho, so his motive could be anything. . . but I'm still not ruling out revenge on some level - for something real, or imagined. The name "Sorrells" showed up again on a facebook page connected with Lpatrick and Lonnie Smith.

Melanie Billings and Joseph Andrew Steer are plaintiffs in a civil suit against a couple of real low-lifes, Dwight and James Sorrells and a woman called Dianne Hart Watkins. It might be about assets from the late Arnold Sorrells estate. I don't know, I'm not great at reading court documents. The plaintiffs appear to have been awarded. Now here's a kicker, JA Steer is hell on wheels. He wasn't a minor - though a guardian ad litem was assigned. His rap sheet is as long and almost as awful as the Sorrells.

Melanie was fighting some pretty awful people in court. If it's the same James Sorrell, he's commited horrible crimes against a disabled child.

There's a warrant out for him from June, but he appears to be MIA.

He could definitely have a grudge against the Billings and could have easily rubbed elbows with the rest of these ****heads in jail.

http://www.escambiaclerk.com/xml/xml.asp?ucase_id=88196796

 

[Gypsy Road]

Wow...peeps are getting off track here. Let's stay focused and not feed the trolls. It's just counter productive.

 

[SuziQ]

Children should not be reading this site. Internet use by children should always be monitored by an adult.

 

[SuziQ]

Linda, once again, great work.

 

[mom23gr8kids]

I wonder if Melanie could have been the Guaardian ad Lietum for that person? Would they be listed like that? It would be much like her to do that type of work and that would explain why we never heard anything about it. She wouldn't have exposed private information if she were working on a case in that manner.

Just a thought.

 

[daisy7]

Wow...peeps are getting off track here. Let's stay focused and not feed the trolls. It's just counter productive.

ITA!! Be back in the morning.

 

[Sleuthster]

I wonder if Melanie could have been the Guaardian ad Lietum for that person? Would they be listed like that? It would be much like her to do that type of work and that would explain why we never heard anything about it. She wouldn't have exposed private information if she were working on a case in that manner.

Just a thought.

She adopted 12 children and was a GAL?? Wow. She definately had the interest of all the children in her heart. It is just so sad.

 

[Lindadanette]

LET?? a 13 year old... be for real. Helping the case?? I didn't realize you people were licensed detectives.
Do you think for a moment that the victims family would find the speculations you've posted here "uplifting"? do you think those children would read all this and Say Yeah! I mean ... gee that baby favors this guy and wow, her last name is byrd and his first name is byrd and gee maybe they were adopted..
I believe in freedom of speech, but don't kid yourself that this is anything other than a big huge gossip site.
helping the case...give me a break.

I want to apologize if we have inadvertently caused emotion upset to you or your loved ones. I understand how this could look like gossip to you. Much of what we post is conjecture and is meant for the eyes of a group of people who sleuth as their "hobby" if you will. I can tell you that members of Websleuths HAVE provided valuable information to LE.

We don't pride ourselves as "licensed detectives", but the internet holds a wealth of information and, though I personally find it incredulous, these criminals are the ones who broadcast their evil through social sites and criminal records.

I think that you or whoever is closest to this thirteen year old child, should seek victims assistance counseling for them asap. I would hope and imagine that the sheriff's office is providing this contact information to the families.

Again, I'm sorry that you've been hurt by this tragedy.

 

[mom23gr8kids]

She adopted 12 children and was a GAL?? Wow. She definately had the interest of all the children in her heart. It is just so sad.

I don't know for a fact that she was I just said it would be very much like her to do something like that. It is just the way she was. And I know that she would have had to keep that information confidential.

So I just wondered if that might be an option, but I'm not sure if they would list the name of the GAL or not. I'm not really familiar with how that all works.

 

[Sleuthster]

I don't know for a fact that she was I just said it would be very much like her to do something like that. It is just the way she was. And I know that she would have had to keep that information confidential.

So I just wondered if that might be an option, but I'm not sure if they would list the name of the GAL or not. I'm not really familiar with how that all works.

GAL's are usually listed on court documents for hearings that they attend, for example when I got permanent custody of my gd the GAL was listed on the permanency ppw.

 

[Lindadanette]

I don't know for a fact that she was I just said it would be very much like her to do something like that. It is just the way she was. And I know that she would have had to keep that information confidential.

So I just wondered if that might be an option, but I'm not sure if they would list the name of the GAL or not. I'm not really familiar with how that all works.

I don't think she could legally be the plaintiff and the GAL. That person would talk with the minor and report back to the judge, correct? The GAL happens in the "middle" of the case. . . I'm wondering if the child that was abused is somehow related to JAS? I know that in the criminal file for James Sorrells is sounds like the crime was commited against a disabled child residing in the home.

ETA - Corrected name of felon