Motive Probed in Slaying of a Florida Couple with 16 kids (252 hits)
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Investigators are looking at business ties among other leads for a motive in the slaying of a wealthy Florida couple who adopted 12 children with developmental disabilities and other problems, authorities said Monday. There may be multiple motives and more arrests are possible after three men were jailed Sunday, two of them on murder charges, in the shooting deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings at their sprawling home near Pensacola, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said.
"It began as what we thought was a home invasion. At this point because of the complexity and the ties this family had through the business community, we're moving many other directions. Could be money, could be a whole host of things," Morgan said on the NBC "Today" show. Morgan also cited the family's business ties in an interview on the CBS "Early Show" but declined to be more specific. He said investigators are working on "multiple motives."
Morgan said the investigation involves a complex web of relationships between suspects, though he declined to elaborate on them. He said it did not appear that the suspects knew the victims. The younger Gonzalez and Coldiron are friends, the warrants said. Byrd Billings, 68, and Melanie, 43, owned several local businesses, including a finance company and a used car dealership. Three men arrested in connection with the slayings were scheduled to appear in court Monday and Tuesday.
Wayne Coldiron, 41, turned himself in to Escambia County authorities and Leonard P. Gonzalez Jr., 35, was arrested in neighboring Santa Rosa County. Both were charged with murder and home invasion, according to their arrest warrants. The two were set to have a first court appearance Tuesday. Authorities also jailed Gonzalez's father, Leonard P. Gonzalez Sr., on a charge of evidence tampering. Police said the 56-year-old tried to paint over and hide damage on a red van that was spotted on surveillance video leaving the Billings' home after the shootings Thursday. Gonzalez was due in court Monday.
The Billings had 16 children, 12 of them adopted. Eight of the children, ages 8 to 14, were in the house when the shootings took place.
