Couple who adopted 12 children shot to death #3

[Bobbisangel]

I hope one of the guys talk so we can find out exactly what they were after. They wouldn't have done all of that training and taken so many guys in if it was just to get the little safe. If they were after the big safe why didn't they just shoot the lock and get it open and take what they wanted. The parents were dead and they had a look out to let them know if anyone was coming.
For so many heads planning this out they weren't very smart and didn't plan very well.

 

[nurselady]

Crab Island is in Destin - right at the Destin Harbor. It's not really an island, but a shallow part of Choctahatchee Bay I believe (just a hope skip and a jump from Ft. Walton Beach)

You,re right Crab Island is to the feft of the bridge as you come into Destin.It is under water only a couple of feet deep and all us locals gather there on weekends.We have food boats intertainment,water toys,it,s a hoot.

 

[Choux]

I would love to give everyone a list of names to rundown, but it's against TOS, I just can't get away with what I could in the beginning. . . And it's so frustrating, because it's huge and more than a little scary. But intitials don't get it. . . How can I say - look up XXXXX and tell me why the former state Attorney XXXXXXX let all of these people off the hook with Nolle Prosequi?

All I can tell you is the Sandshaker scandal is a good place to start.

1998-2002 were really shall I say, HOT years in the area, I bailed out of there end of March 2003, just a few months before the crap hit the fan.

As I've mentioned a few times already there were hella parties, these "parties" as most people on the outside called them, were called bacchanalias by the people hosting them. The only way to attend one was by invitation or go as a guest of someone who was invited.

I will also add this little tidbit, the biggest of the bacchanalias were always held just before the fast and after Mardi Gras!

 

[Gypsy Road]

New story on PNJ: http://www.pnj.com/article/20090719...ef--rumors--family&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

includes some interesting background, to those who have NOT been keeping up with what we were sleuthing, including


"DCF attorney Katie George said every time the agency addressed a letter to Billings that included his children's names, he would reply with an invoice demanding millions of dollars in copyright infringement."

Wow...such an informative article. I'm amazed at how strong Ashley has remained, but I can't help but feel fearful for her and her husband moving back into that home. If this crime is as big as everyone is speculating - I worry for her.

 

[RiverPirate]

Hello All,
I found this site while reading the PNJ. I've been reading for days and just wanted to say I'm very impressed with all that you do here.

EXACTLY, So Why Did They Leave The House In Four Minutes??? They Had Lookouts Posted And Plenty Of Ninjas Inside.

I think they got scared and left after the murders.

As interesting as all the theories going on in here are, I believe this was a robbery turned murder. However, you folks have definitely found some interesting angles and I wouldn't be surprised if it came out that there was more to it than that.

I think they confronted the Billingses and something went wrong.
They were shot and the robbers turned murderers got scared and left.
I believe the reason there were so many people involved was to control the house. They were gonna round up the children, the staff and have some of the crew watch them while they looked for valuables.

Too many people involved for this to be a "hit." 1 person could of handled that. We know of at least 8 people involved in this and there may be more.

These people were after money. I think they had reason to believe there was a small fortune in that house somewhere. Be it in the second safe, hidden in a wall, who knows? It all went to hell in a hand basket before they got to look for what they really wanted.

 

[JustMe42]

Is there any info about where the bodies were found or if there were signs of a struggle?? All I have heard is they were suppose to be going to bed about the time of the attack. If there were signs of a struggle, would it change your "speculation" (couldnt spell therie, therey)lol, of what happened?

 

[Gypsy Road]

Not even one million.

You could easily put a million dollars in a microwave sized safe if it were all in C-notes.

 

[RiverPirate]

Is there any info about where the bodies were found or if there were signs of a struggle?? All I have heard is they were suppose to be going to bed about the time of the attack. If there were signs of a struggle, would it change your "speculation" (couldnt spell therie, therey)lol, of what happened?

They were found in the bed.
Were they shot in bed? Shot somewhere else and put there? I don't know.
Was Mr. Billings possibly armed?

 

[Gypsy Road]

EXACTLY, So Why Did They Leave The House In Four Minutes??? They Had Lookouts Posted And Plenty Of Ninjas Inside.

I think they left because they thought their work was done. They thought they had accomplished what they set out to do. JMO.

 

[Choux]

Is there any info about where the bodies were found or if there were signs of a struggle?? All I have heard is they were suppose to be going to bed about the time of the attack. If there were signs of a struggle, would it change your "speculation" (couldnt spell therie, therey)lol, of what happened?

Signs of struggle would change my thoughts a lot, but as of now based on the widespread assumption that the media has been spreading that they were found in their bedroom and other rumors of them having been found in bed, gives me the impression that it went down too fast for them to react.

The reports of "overkill" further backs up my feeling that murder was intended.

 

[RiverPirate]

Signs of struggle would change my thoughts a lot, but as of now based on the widespread assumption that the media has been spreading that they were found in their bedroom and other rumors of them having been found in bed, gives me the impression that it went down too fast for them to react.

The reports of "overkill" further backs up my feeling that murder was intended.

Good point. But was it intended before the robbers arrived or did some circumstance lead to it? Did Mr. or Mrs.Billings put up a fight resulting in the murders?

 

[FromFL]

Signs of struggle would change my thoughts a lot, but as of now based on the widespread assumption that the media has been spreading that they were found in their bedroom and other rumors of them having been found in bed, gives me the impression that it went down too fast for them to react.

The reports of "overkill" further backs up my feeling that murder was intended.

I'm heading to bed, but WKRG and northescambia.com had the arrest reports online.

In the arrest report for LPG, Sr. it has a section covered that cannot be read on the arrest report. However, on the arrest report for Florence out of Okaloosa County, it has the part unblocked.

(they copied the original part from Sr's arrest report and put it in the Okaloosa one)

It reads: "Upon arrival the bodies of Byrd and Melanie Billings were located in the bedroom obviously dead from multiple gunshot wounds."

The bold part is what is omitted from LPG, Sr. report.

I didn't see in any that had the EXACT location or positioning. So they could've been in bed, or maybe a struggle happened in the bedroom. Only time will tell.

 

[Choux]

Good point. But was it intended before the robbers arrived or did some circumstance lead to it? Did Mr. or Mrs.Billings put up a fight resulting in the murders?

I've tossed around the idea that perhaps once inside they realized that they had been double crossed and they security/surveillance had not been disabled.

Unless LE loosens the lips we won't know if there was a struggle, until doc dumps or trial.

I'm sitting on the fence due to the little we do know, but I tend to lean more towards murder was the intent and robbery was the extra reward in their minds.

 

[Gypsy Road]

Good point. But was it intended before the robbers arrived or did some circumstance lead to it? Did Mr. or Mrs.Billings put up a fight resulting in the murders?

There's no doubt in my mind that a man like Byrd Billings had guns in the house, and he may indeed have tried to put up a fight. The perps had to have known that it was probable that Byrd had guns with the types of businesses he ran and all.

 

[SeekingJana]

WHY would a team of ninjas stage this sort of assault on a private home during daylight hours??? TMNTs are smarter than this chit!!

Tell me WHY this happened before 7:30 PM because I can't think of ONE solid reason beyond uncontrollable rage. And this doesn't seem to be the case if it was " planned".
Even a low-level GOFER knows these things are done in the dead of night without a RED CLOWN VEHICLE as the main getaway van.

I think there's something way more to this. Maybe they weren't afraid of being caught at all because they were all paid extremely well to take the risk by someone much higher up the food chain that we haven't even touched upon yet.. Maybe they were promised " protection" that didn't materialize..
Something's off and it starts with the clock.

 

[RiverPirate]

I've tossed around the idea that perhaps once inside they realized that they had been double crossed and they security/surveillance had not been disabled.

Unless LE loosens the lips we won't know if there was a struggle, until doc dumps or trial.

I'm sitting on the fence due to the little we do know, but I tend to lean more towards murder was the intent and robbery was the extra reward in their minds.

I'm sitting on the fence also. If I had to jump off right now I'd land more on the robbery turned murder side. However, based on what I saw on JRs' website, I think it wouldn't have taken much to set him off.

I also very interested in the MS-13 gang angle. Was this an initiation? Could the members of this bunch of murderers been moving up the ranks if they had succeeded?

 

[Choux]

WHY would a team of ninjas stage this sort of assault on a private home during daylight hours??? TMNTs are smarter than this chit!!

Tell me WHY this happened before 7:30 PM because I can't think of ONE solid reason beyond uncontrollable rage. And this doesn't seem to be the case if it was " planned".
Even a low-level GOFER knows these things are done in the dead of night without a RED CLOWN VEHICLE as the main getaway van.

I think there's something way more to this. Maybe they weren't afraid of being caught at all because they were all paid extremely well to take the risk by someone much higher up the food chain that we haven't even touched upon yet.. Maybe they were promised " protection" that didn't materialize..
Something's off and it starts with the clock.

Red Clown Vehicle aside, the still daylight factor has been huge problem I've had.

Between the hours of 7-8pm that stretch of Hwy 90 has always had a decent amount of traffic in both directions any time I'd ever been through there.

Looking from the aerial view of the property and seeing the location of the big red van on surveillance video, they were in the open area. Not to the side with the more wooded area that would provide a little more cover, but wide open in the front yard.

The majority of daylight hour robbers at least attempt to hide the getaway vehicle, although even a camo net wouldn't have hid that glowing box on wheels.

 

[RiverPirate]

There's no doubt in my mind that a man like Byrd Billings had guns in the house, and he may indeed have tried to put up a fight. The perps had to have known that it was probable that Byrd had guns with the types of businesses he ran and all.

That's what I was thinking.I also thought it possible he had no guns due to the large amount of children on premises.

 

[RiverPirate]

WHY would a team of ninjas stage this sort of assault on a private home during daylight hours??? TMNTs are smarter than this chit!!

Having seen some of these folks myspace pages, I'm thinking they're just that stupid.

 

[Choux]

That's what I was thinking.I also thought it possible he had no guns due to the large amount of children on premises.

Yep, my thoughts too. With that many young children in the home with special needs, if there were guns on the property, I believe they would have been locked in safe and unloaded.

That's why given the short time span, I can't see the Billings having had enough time to react to the invasion.