7 Arrested in the Double Murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings

by Tina Kells | July 14, 2009 at 11:26 am

18577 views | 27 Recommendations | 14 comments

The shocking double murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings, foster parents to a large number of special needs kids, grows even more disturbing with the announcement that a total of 7 people have been arrested for the crime. At least one more person is still under investigation and at large. So far Florida police have arrested six adults and one juvenile in the double homicide and none of the accused appear have a prior relationship with the Billings.

Byrd and Melanie Billings were murdered in their Florida home on July 9, 2009. The suspected motive for the shocking killings was a burglary gone wrong. Byrd and Melanie Billings were wealthy and their Florida home was a well secured compound, it is believed that the group planned to break in to that compound to rob the house, not commit murder.

The first three arrests came during the weekend after the murders with a fourth person arrested Monday, July 13. The additional three arrests were made July 14 bringing the total number of those accused in the killings to seven. An 8th person is being sought as an accomplice.

Among those arrested is 35-year old martial arts instructor Leonard P. Gonzalez Jr. and his wife Tabitha. Active and productive members of their Florida community, the arrest of Leonard and Tabitha Gonzalez for the senseless crime has left people in shock. The Gonzalezes were parents to a large brood themselves; they had at least six children.

The others were arrested for various levels of participation in the killings of Byrd and Melanie Billings. Leonard Gonzalez Sr.,56, father of Leonard P. Gonzalez Jr, was arrested and charged with evidence tampering. Day laborers Wayne Coldrion, 41, and Gary Lamont Sumner, 31, were also arrested in connection with the Billings murders.

The entire crime was captured on surveillance video in the Billings home and took only 10 minutes from start to finish. Nine of the Billings' 17 children were home at the time of the break in and one ran to a neighbor to call 911. 13 of the Billings' 17 children were adopted and many were special needs kids.

Three people — two adults and the 16-year-old juvenile — were caught Tuesday. Three suspects had already been arrested over the weekend and a fourth on Monday evening.

"The primary motive was robbery," said State Attorney Bill Eddins. Morgan had earlier said that there were multiple motives for the crime.

One of those arrested Sunday, 35-year-old Leonard P. Gonzalez Jr., was a Pensacola martial arts instructor. He and his wife, Tabatha, received a Service to Mankind Award in June from the Pensacola Seville Sertoma Club for their work in teaching self defense to children and abused women.

Gonzalez and his wife had as many as six young children and brought them to the self-defense presentations, said Gwinn Corley, a spokesman for the Sertoma club.

"We were impressed with them," Corley said. "He was talking about children and their respect for their elders. They both seemed to have a passion to teaching the arts to abused women and kids, they had a vision for how to give free self defense."

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DLDog

at 11:57 on July 14th, 2009

http://pnj.com/article/20090714/NEWS01/90714015/-1/special

I have been hoping and hoping that these animals would be caught quickly. I live about an hour away in Mobile County, AL. My in-laws live in Pensacola. I was worried for my family over there.

What a sickening thing to happen to such caring, giving, unselfish people. I would gladly put a bullet in those creatures' heads myself.

Jdigs (not verified)

at 04:14 on July 17th, 2009

Great....so you would do the same thing to them that you disapprove of them doing to someone else. I wasn't terrified before because I thought the people with the murderous impulses had been arrested. However, after reading your statements I now have your crazy ass to worry about too.

Another Dog (not verified)

at 05:34 on July 17th, 2009

Hey Digs, some of us believe in an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. Add in a life for a life and I agree with the first poster you attacked. He said "He would gladly" not that he WILL, that he WOULD. While he most likely will not kill anyone, the state of Florida WILL give the death sentence to these animals and the world can breathe easier from being rid of such swine.

This land governs you be allowed life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These people ruined all kinds of life, liberty and happiness. I am guessing you would like to rehabilitate them in one of our costly prisons, where the evils fester amongst themselves and grow sicker. Great idea!! But I say SHOOT THEM!!! Cancers to society should be removed.

RayBEEZ (not verified)

at 05:34 on July 17th, 2009

Don't be a jack-@$$ Jdigs. An eye for an eye has been an acceptable form of punishment in many cultures throughout history. I myself am truly upset that this didn't happen in Texas. I heard they were putting in an express lane for their death row inmates. People that are willing to go this far for quick money don't deserve rehabilitation, nor do they deserve to sit in prison living on tax dollars.

Aprilsturn (not verified)

at 07:15 on July 17th, 2009

I Agree with you 1oo% I cant understand why someone would take a life in the first place. but when they do they don't deserve to live. they didn't give the people they killed a choice so why should the killers have a choice. an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth. do onto others as you would have them done unto you. what get's me is some people dont believe they should be punished by death, but if it happened to them and someone was to kill someone in their family whould they be whistling a diffrent tune?

slickschoppers (not verified)

at 05:56 on July 17th, 2009

"for if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your fater will not forgive your sins"

Mathew 6:14, 15

patrick looney (not verified)

at 06:08 on July 17th, 2009

there is only one cure or rehabilitation for people who commit such crimes-terminate with extreme prejudice. a 45 acp at the base of the skull is both quick and pailess as it gets. this could have been a simple robbery with no one hurt- that gets you time in the big house-instead it was a senseless double murder-which should get you a quick trip to the morgue.

john 316 (not verified)

at 07:41 on July 17th, 2009

I for one am tired of paying to "rehabilitate" criminals, especially ones who commit murder. Although I consider my self a good Christian enough is enough. If you murder someone you need to pay the ultimate price....your life

Clapping out loud (not verified)

at 08:07 on July 17th, 2009

These monsters should be executed,the faster the better. They need to go to hell so they can start to really pay for this crime!

clapping out loud (not verified)

at 08:16 on July 17th, 2009

You can not kill these monsters fast enough. They need to be executed by law so they can go to hell and truly begin to pay for the crimes they have committed. Also my last post was up for about 4 mins then removed thats called censorship im aloud my opinion like anyone else here.

Pete123 (not verified)

at 08:19 on July 17th, 2009

A friend of mine has this wonderful idea for dealing with murderers. Each state should build a 10-acre fenced compound where every committed murderer is placed into with a knife and a tarp. Food for only 50% of the population is air dropped at noon every day into the middle of the compound. Anyone who survives more than a month is pulled from the compound and air dropped in Iraq or Afghanistan with the instructions to hunt down and kill Taliban. Each person wold be imbedded with a tracking device and if they are found to be unmotivated, they are tracked down and returned to the compound for the remainder of their life.

Joe Joe The Clown (not verified)

at 11:50 on July 17th, 2009

You're an idiot, lol

Lauri Hubbard (not verified)

at 19:46 on July 17th, 2009

I think you should get all your fact correct before printing a story. Tabitha has not been arrested and for this crime. It is so important to report accurately as opposed to false information. Is it really necessary to make stuff up???

Daveyo (not verified)

at 21:29 on July 17th, 2009

Well folks, yes I agree this was totally senseless. I still cannot seem to figure out how a team of idiots such as these individuals were to be able to convince themselves to commit home invasion, do it military style, do it Ninja style, then shoot two people in the process for GREED FOR MONEY. Something wrong with them. Oh include that woman too. As of the 16 year old yes that kid has to go down, no rehab either. If they show mercy to that kid, they have to show mercy for all of them.

Now every single one is going to jockey for the best postition regarding their appeals and the blame game begins. Hence the long and tedious legal process. This can take years before they are executed. These individuals are guaranteed to never see freedom again IF and I say that word IF they are convicted. Right now they are accused so the state has to prove their guilt. Again they show mercy to a woman who actually provided the VAN, and provided the means and provided a place to keep the safe and was in possession of it. Come on, and a 10 grand bail for her. Who is kidding whom here????

She knew all along the plans, the work and the setup. She never told the police ahead of time. So she participated in this as much as the others. She is just as responsible as all the others who were involved. This is sick and she gets to walk back in the streets!!!!!! What an insult to the public and to the family members of the deceased. Why not the males get a chance to walk huh????? Why let the female out because they say she is not a threat??? Are you kidding. Females are twice as dangerous than men because of the charm ability, and of their ingenuity. Females make better assassins than any male out there. They have the ability to change their looks on the fly whereas the men cannot do such.

It would seem to me that the police made a secret deal with her, otherwise she would be facing the murder rap too and not just after the fact rap which to me is total BS. She was in it from the beginning not after. Is there something wrong here or not???

I hope that this would be a wake up call to everybody and start allowing people to defend themselves in their own homes against such predators and have the weapons to protect themselves and the legal law behind homeowners to protect them. If you have to shoot and kill them then do it. Why should you become their victim, as they entered your home illegally already committing Home Invasion and now your life is on the line and here your are facing a person dressed as a Ninja bozo holding a weapon about to kill you!!!!. Who is the idiot that said we cannot defend ourselves and not have the protection of legal redress that allows us to protect ourselves without facing charges should we shoot and kill these predators inside our home. There are some states that allow us to be armed at home and you certainly do not hear such home invasions in that state. Why because any criminal who has the intent to do such knows they will be shot and killed if caught inside that home because it is already armed.

My condolences to those special kids as they are now without two loving people who had the heart and goodness to be their parents. May they RIP.