Vanguard News Network
VNN Media
VNN Digital Library
VNN Reader Mail
VNN Broadcasts

Old July 13th, 2009 #1
William Hyde
Someday Never Comes
 
William Hyde's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Racing Against Time
Posts: 2,300
Blog Entries: 3
Woodpecker Two charged with murder in bizarre shooting of Florida parents of 16:

Two charged with murder in bizarre shooting of Florida parents of 16

Rebekah Allen, Pensacola News Journal Published: Monday, July 13, 2009

Handout Leonard Gonzalez Jr. and Wayne Thomas Coldiron were charged on open counts of murder Sunday in connection with the slayings of Byrd and Melanie Billings.

The two men are facing murder charges in connection with a home invasion that ended in the death of a Florida couple who were parents of a dozen adopted children, many with developmental disabilities.

Byrd and Melanie Billings, who had also had four biological children, were known in their community for adopting children with special needs. The couple was found shot to death in their rural Beulah, Florida, home near the Alabama border.

Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan opened a 10 p.m. Sunday news conference by announcing the arrest of Wayne Thomas Coldiron, 41, of Pensacola, Florida. The sheriff took a brief break to consult with investigators about 20 minutes into the news conference, then returned to announce the arrest of Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr., 35, of Gulf Breeze, Florida. Coldiron and Gonzalez Jr. have now been charged with murder.

Earlier, Morgan reported the arrest of Gonzalez's father, Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr., 56, of Pensacola, on a charge of tampering with evidence in the case.

Although Morgan did not mention it at the news conference, Gonzalez Sr.'s arrest report says he admitted to driving the alleged assailants to and from the home of Byrd and Melanie Billings.

Morgan said Gonzalez Sr. is believed to have repainted the murder suspects' van, which was recorded by home surveillance tape as it travelled down the long driveway to the Billingses' large and isolated home on Mobile Highway.

But Gonzalez Sr. also told investigators that he drove the van that held his son, Coldiron and "several" other men whose names he could not supply. He has not yet been charged in connection with those activities.

Byrd Billings, 66, and his 43-year-old wife were shot in the couple's bedroom. Eight of their children, some of whom have Down syndrome or are otherwise disabled, were elsewhere in the house and were not physically harmed. Byrd Billings was shot in the head, according to a law enforcement source.

The arrest report of Gonzalez Sr. says the surveillance video shows three armed, masked people entering the Billings' home. Two doors into the residence appeared to have been forced open.

Two of the suspects appeared to be carrying long guns. Nine-millimeter shell casings were recovered during the investigation, the arrest report says.
Gonzalez Sr. told investigators he stayed in the van while the other passengers committed what he referred to as a robbery. Morgan has refused to say whether anything was taken during the home invasion.

The elder Gonzalez said he was not sure who shot the victims but said his son and Coldiron had entered the residence armed with handguns, according to the report.

After a day of rapidly evolving information in the case, Morgan described the saga as rivaling a movie script and said the scope of the investigation was "mind-boggling."

"I'm not prepared to tell you a motive at this time," Morgan said at the first news conference where he was accompanied by State Attorney Bill Eddins. "But I will tell you this: We are very anxious to share this story with Escambia County and the nation. ... It's going to be a humdinger."

Morgan repeatedly referred to a search for "multiple suspects," refusing to say how many people are being sought or if there are more suspects than the ones Gonzalez Sr. mentioned.

The sheriff 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.

Morgan said he was not aware of any connection or previous contact between the suspects and the Billings family. Nor, he said, is there any indication that either of the Billingses or anyone in their family was involved in any sort of criminal activity.

The Billings installed the surveillance tape because of the large number of children they were caring for. The couple also had four biological children who were not at home at the time.

The arrest of Coldiron and Gonzalez Jr. followed several hours of questioning of Gonzalez Sr. by sheriff's investigators. Morgan would not disclose Gonzalez's level of co-operation.

Coldiron contacted sheriff's officers who already were looking for him Sunday afternoon, Morgan said. He was in Gulf Breeze but was taken into custody in Escambia County.

On Saturday, the sheriff said investigators were questioning two "persons of interest." On Sunday, he said Gonzalez Sr. was one of those people but Coldiron was not.

Gonzalez Sr. was questioned after the red van was located at his mobile home in the 300 block of Palm Court in Pensacola. Morgan said numerous residents called after a photo of the van was published by media outlets, and those calls led to the van's discovery.

Gonzalez Sr. had attempted to paint and cover damages on the vehicle so it would be less recognizable, Morgan said.
None of the suspects owned the vehicle, Morgan said. He refused to identify the owner, saying the individual is not a person of interest. The van was not stolen, he said.

Gonzalez Jr., who's known as "Little Poff," was being held in Santa Rosa County Jail on Sunday night. His bond was set at $1 million.
Coldiron and Gonzalez Sr. were in Escambia County Jail. Coldiron has a $1 million bond and Gonzalez Sr. has a $250,000 bond.

Gonzalez Jr. has an extensive criminal history, Morgan said. Previous charges against him include home invasion and battery with a firearm.

Gonzalez Sr. has gotten into trouble over the years for numerous criminal traffic infractions, including driving under the influence and driving without a license. He has also been charged with misdemeanor drug possession and writing worthless checks.

Tampering with evidence is a third-degree felony that generally carries a maximum of five years in prison. But Eddins said Gonzalez could face as many as 10 years, depending on his previous convictions.

Coldiron has a previous conviction for aggravated battery. He was released from prison in February 2000.

The Gonzalezes are expected to appear in court today. Coldiron's appearance could be delayed until Tuesday.

Staff Writer Carlton Proctor of the Pensacola News Journal contributed to this report. Read more about this story at www.pnj.com

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1786375
__________________
“We’re the slaves of the phony leaders - Breathe the air we have blown you!”
 
Reply

Share


Thread
Display Modes


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:33 AM.
Page generated in 0.89952 seconds.