Slain Couple May Have Had Money Troubles

Billings Sued Own Son for Child Support for Granddaughter, Documents Show; DEA Probing Murder as Cops Arrest Eighth Suspect

(CBS/AP)  Last Updated at 12:08 p.m. EDT

A clearer picture of the finances of Melanie and Byrd Billings emerged Thursday revealing the murdered couple may have had money problems.

Meanwhile, authorities continued investigating the precisely executed, deadly break-in at the victims' Florida Panhandle home, with the Drug Enforcement Administration confirming their involvement in the case and police arresting an eighth suspect. Police are also still seeking at least one more accomplice who they believe failed his assignment to disable the house's surveillance system.

Court documents show the Billings, who were known for adopting 13 children with special needs, sued their own adult son for child support in 2008 after they took in his daughter - their granddaughter - in 2006, reports CBS News correspondent Terrell Brown.

They also had asked for a $50,000 life insurance policy for the then-18-year-old girl, with themselves as the beneficiaries.

Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan told CBS' "The Early Show" that the police have not investigated the Billings' finances as they've searched for their killers.

The DEA has also been investigating the murder from the beginning. Their interest - possible drugs and money laundering, though officials won't say who they're probing, reports Brown

Other federal agencies are also involved in the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is helping trace the weapons used in the attack and the FBI is working to enhance the security video retrieved from the house.

Morgan once again denied having knowledge of any federal investigation.

Footage taken by the cameras helped lead investigators to the suspects in last week's shooting deaths. The videos showed masked men - some dressed as ninjas - slipping into front and back doors at the home.

Police on Wednesday arrested an eighth suspect, 47-year-old Pamela Long Wiggins, charging her with accessory after the fact to felony murder, Morgan said. Seven others have also been charged in the killings.

Police do not believe Long, the eighth arrest, was present at the murder scene but do suspect she may have personal ties to the alleged mastermind of the attack - Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Junior, reports Brown.

CBS News obtained a marriage license from December listing Long as the bride, with Gonzalez as a witness.

Police are still seeking two more persons of interest, Morgan told "The Early Show."

"Sadly, no, we do not feel that this is the end," he said.

Morgan said the suspects spent 30 days training for what was a precisely executed break-in, save for the failure to turn off the couple's camera system. Before the crime, the extensive surveillance system was used to monitor the children.

"The execution was basically flawless," Morgan said. "The one gaping hole that would not have made this a perfect operation, if you will, was the fact that the surveillance system was not disabled. I guess the question was why was it not?"

Morgan said an accomplice was assigned to turn off the cameras, possibly remotely, but never did - and the men who broke in apparently didn't know that. Morgan said authorities are looking for another person of interest who may have been the one assigned to turn off the system, though he did not identify that person.

The surveillance videos led investigators to a red van used as a used as a getaway car and eventually to the suspects, a loosely connected group of mostly day laborers who knew each other through a power washing business and an auto detailing operation.

They were in the nine-bedroom house for just four minutes and on the property for 10, Morgan said.

Morgan said the suspects took a safe from the house, though he would not say what was in it or what else was taken. Authorities have said the main motive was robbery, though there may have been others.

He said earlier that Wiggins is a friend and landlord to the 35-year-old Gonzalez Jr., whom Morgan described as a "pivotal person" in organizing the break-in. Gonzalez, who's charged with murder, proclaimed his innocence in court Tuesday.

State Attorney Eddins said the day before Wiggins' arrest that he will ask a grand jury to indict the suspects on first-degree murder charges. The male suspects range in age from 16 to 56.

David Melenkevitz, a spokesman for the DEA, said his agency is assisting with the investigation but would not comment further. He said Escambia County officials have also sought help from other federal agencies including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Nine of the couple's 13 adopted children were home during the break-in. Three saw the intruders but were not hurt. The couple also had four children from previous marriages.

[heavynne]

Actually when you adopt children these days you automatically get money for it. Back in the day you didn't, but now you do. So with that many, and having special needs they were getting quite a bit of money. They weren't just living as they were off of their own money. It kinda makes you wonder, because who in their right mind would adopt so many children, and especially special needs children.

[bill7700]

I read in a previous CBS article, "Fla murder suspect's criminal past," that Gonzalez jr was payed 150K over a four month period in 2008 for intelligence work. If he is getting paid that kind of money for providing intelligence, why did this, according to the police; well planned, military style operation go bad? Why was there nothing in the safe of any value? Why is it that there are now reports of money trouble with the Billings? If Gonzalez can command that kind of high price for his intelligence services, why did he not know any of these things? I would like to know his prior intelligence abilities, and for whom he performed these services for.

[stickdog3]

Why is the DEA involved in this? This is a classic strange case. I've seen so many of these type cases on CBS 48 Hours Mysterys and Dateline NBC. Almost always the obvious suspects aren't the ones or as it appears in this case the only ones. I have to play devils advocate, but, I guarantee you those older kids are being watched. The workers are nannys that worked them if any or/should be watched. Ask yourself how can these people go in and come out in 4 minutes time with a safe and other items, murder 2 people and get away that day. It doesn't make sense. Inorder for you to do this that fast, you had to have a blueprint if you will knowing where everything was in advance. The only way you could know that is by having someone on the inside helping supply that info. As far as them having finacial problems, what makes them suspect this, and why would these people go after them with a team of 8 people for only a small share of the cut.
No, these people went after something a lot larger than whats being let on, why risk sharing 8 ways for a couple of thousand. That brings us back to the DEA, why are they now involved? Its going to boil down to someone in that house was the inside connect, or they were hired specifically to do what they did, and make it look like a home invasion. I've seen it all on 48 Hours Mysterys and this case fits the parameters. Stay Tuned, you will be shocked by the outcome on this one.

[underdogus09]

sounds like you work for 48 Hours Mysterys...

[zonkzilla]

Probably late on credit cards so they were "wacked", debt collectors will do anything these days since no one tries to control them or make them obey laws.

[PColaNative]

RE: Slain Couple May Have Had Money Troubles

This is absolutely absurd and a poor representation of journalism. A catchy false statement for one paragraph out of that entire story. This is a pathetic attempt to get one more reader and a complete lie.

Tell me, as the parent of a child who was going to soon pass from an illness, would you not take out an insurance policy to cover the funeral expenses. Trust me, $50,000 doesn't even touch the medical expenses they paid to keep that little girl alive.

And anyone who knew Bud Billings would know the child support had nothing to do with money and everything to do with teaching your children that there are responsibilities in life that you are expected to take care of.

Shame on Terrell Brown for using such smut as a way to get the attention of people who care about nothing but drama. You should go report for a tabloid.

[kevinusma]

This father was shady. Why did he have a video surveillance system "to keep an eye on his kids"? More likely it was to keep (expected) intruders out of his property.

[PColaNative]

Do you have many children with disabilities? How would you know how hard it is to watch over 9 children with disabilities? And it wasn't just the watching over, it keeps them honest. There's no he did this, he did that and then you guess who's telling the truth. They could just go back to the video and say, that's not what you did, this is.

[tbbaot]

Don't let the big house fool you. Their used car lot rarely had more than 10-15 cars on it. The "finance company" was nothing more than a buy here pay here loan company for the used car lot. This type of financing is high risk and involves repoing 1/2 the cars you finance.

[stychokiller]

In related news, all of the victim's vehicles had dirty air filters. (Yeesh, is this what passes for investigative journalism these days??)

[jghutto]

I feel quite sure that the state of Florida provides a monetary amount and health benefits for people taking these children. I have even heard they provide college education for children that are adopted that are in the state's care. However, I certainly do not believe that would have anything to do with the crime. The intent of the criminals must have been solely to steal the safe. Maybe someone that had worked on the premises had seen the safe there. These seem to be intelligent people. Why would they or anyone want to keep a safe in there home anyway and jeopardize their safety?

[fars1d3r]

Leave these people go with their dignity. Try the defendants not the victims, please. These seem like decent people, let us all let them have that.

[hercule1122]

I saw the police chief on TV tonight regaling us with how big this crime will be and it will blow us away( my words interpreting his )! Your 15 minutes of fame are over, Mr. Morgan. Please get busy readying your case against these low-lifes... I wish them their just rewards, and hope they don't have to wait for 8-10 years to meet their fates. Let's speed up the system to get finality.

[vittoria1]

If the granddaughter was 18 -- a legal adult -- then her father didn't have to pay child support. Perhaps the age given in the article is wrong?

[legacyabq]

OK could someone tell me how you can take a safe?!?

In 4 minutes?!?

Real safes are bolted down!

And what about this 8th person, this woman. KNOWING somebody does not make you an accessory.

This Morgan guy seems a little on the dumb side. Giving all these interviews and enjoying his fame.

How could he NOT know about DEA involvement?

My guess is this guywas laundering money for Cuba/Mafia/Colombians or somebody, to make extra money to support all those kids.

Bigmistake if true.

AND, why did they kill them? WHY WHY WHY??

VERY STUPID

I guess if they were smart they (the crooks) would have been in a different bizness..

They were contracted by someone else. I'm quite sure..

[PColaNative]

You're an idiot.

[ToolMangler1]

Fill your safe with money ($50,000), then bolt it down and tell me where it is and I will come and take it in four minutes right in front of your eyes if I can keep the money

[ToolMangler1]

PS, No law breaking involved now.. so you can't have me arrested or killed

[tmittelstaed]

A real safe can't be removed by you in 4 minutes. You MIGHT manage to get the forklift you would need off the trailer in 4 minutes.

A agree with the posters implication. It's foolish to keep important papers - like your kids adoption papers for example - in a home safe. The only people who should be doing this are people like me who keep car titles for vehicles worth less than $2K in them.

[walt1944]

Today EVERBODY has money problems and I couldn't even imagione what kind of money problems they could have had with 13 special needs kids.

Getting any kind of money help from the state or feds is a major pain in the rear end, as they would rather hang onto the money themselves or hand it out to ALWAYS GGRREEDDYY Corporate America!

Charitable organizations aren't much better, especially since people don't have money to contribute anymore or food to donate.

So I would be really surprised if they didn't have money problems.

HAIL OBAMA??????????

[PColaNative]

You have no idea. These people didn't take in foster children and then go asking the government for money. They outright adopted them and never asked for a cent. The Billings were well off and chose to share their fortune with less fortunate children who were abandoned by their biological parents. Not to mention they were the ones donating to those charities so people who could not afford to care for their children could get some help. Have you people read nothing but the one story with the smut headline?

[jclark7613]

This was and always will be a wonderful couple. It a shame that this is news that they sued their son for child supportthat doesn't mean they had financial trouble. It means they made their child accountable. He should pay child support if he decided he no longer wanted to care for his child.

[dagrandma]

There's no need for us to know whether or not the deceased couple were experiencing financial difficulties. Or is this one of those cases where the lives of the victims are going to be aired out through national news sources? And I wish news sources would quit referring to this crime as almost "perfect." There is nothing perfect about a crime in which the lives of two people are snuffed out.

[brianbwb-2009]

Since the original intent apparently was to take the lives of the two parents, the objective was achieved., had the cameras been disabled it is quite possible the culprits would have gotten away clean with it, therefore the term "almost perfect".

Chill Grannie, the reference is an unemotional appraisal of the logistics, not praise for the deed itself.

[yarabie]

Thank you very much. They are victims of a horrible crime. Don't speculate about their financial difficulties.
These news people put these lies out there but never go back and correct them. Just print what you know is the truth and relevant to the case.

[tincup356]

Who in America right now,,,besides the greedy, are not hurting financially right now?

[spacescience]

I agree - but it makes me sick to think about it. The investigation seems aggressive. I'm sure they will get to him, if his sisters don't get to him first........

[tomrobla]

Adult son sued by parents for child support. Sounds like motive to kill parents. Son probably would have knowledge of contents of safe and camera surveillance system. Cops should as least talk to him.