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Hugh Wiggins says he told his wife not to be part of the ring that invaded Melanie and Byrd Billings' home in Beulah and left the couple dead in pools of blood.
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Still, Pamela Long Wiggins was involved.

"She's a woman. What are you going to do?" Wiggins said near the end of a lengthy interview by officers investigating the home invasion, which occurred with nine adopted children inside the home.

Wiggins said his wife felt a duty to help Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr., a family friend described as the brains of the operation.

" 'He needs me,' " Hugh Wiggins quoted his wife as saying of Gonzalez.

(snipped)

http://www.pnj.com/article/20091025/NEWS01/910250314/1006/NEWS01
 
Billings case suspect wants bond reduced
Pamela Long Wiggins wants out of jail.

A central figure in the deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings has asked a judge to reduce her $500,000 bond.

Circuit Judge Nick Geeker will hear the request at a Nov. 3 hearing, his assistant said Tuesday.

Long Wiggins was arrested July 15 after investigators found her and her husband in Orange Beach, Ala. aboard her yacht “The Classy Lady.”

(snipped)

http://www.pnj.com/article/20091027/NEWS01/91027027
 
Wed., 11/12/2009, (I am pretty sure it was yesterday, but if not, the day before) I caught part of an interview with Sheriff Morgan on a local radio station WCOA 1370AM around 8:30- 9 am. One of the hosts asked about the Billings case. Morgan said that the case was developing and was very much an "open case" and that they were looking in to some people on "the periphery" of the case, for possible criminal and civil charges. He mentioned an "interesting twist". He went on to say that a lot of the decisions were made now by the State Attorney since the case was now in the prosecutorial phase.
That was all he said and I did NOT see a place online for any type of transcript or replay. http://www.wcoapensacola.com/default.asp

But I thought it was interesting to note.
(I haven't been able to contribute much lately due to real life constraints.)
 
Billings Autopsy Reports Released

Published: Wed, November 04, 2009 - 2:48 pm CST
PENSACOLA,, Florida - The Florida State Attorney's office released the autopsy reports on Byrd and Melanie Billings.

The wealthy couple known for adopting special needs children was killed July 9th at their home in Beulah.

According to the reports, Byrd was shot three times in the head and once in each leg. Melanie was shot twice in the head and twice in the chest

Six men and a teenager are charged with capital murder in connection with the deaths.

Click here to read the reports.

http://www.wkrg.com/florida/article/billings_autopsy_reports_released/503909/Nov-04-2009_2-48-pm/
 
Ex gets Harley in Wiggins divorce
Billings slaying defendant still faces bigamy trial

Kris Wernowsky • kwernowsky@pnj.com • November 14, 2009

All James Maulden wanted was his motorcycle and a divorce.
He got both.

An Escambia County deputy led Maulden's estranged wife, Pamela Long Wiggins, into the Circuit Judge Michael Allen's courtroom Friday morning.

Dressed in her jail-issued, lime-green jumpsuit, Long Wiggins appeared unaffected when Allen granted her a divorce from one of her two husbands during a hearing at the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building.
http://www.pnj.com/article/20091114/NEWS01/911140323/1006/news01/Ex-gets-Harley-in-Wiggins-divorce
 
http://pnj.com/article/20091204/NEWS01/912040315
New face in Billings case
With Rimmer becoming judge, Molchan joins prosecution
Kris Wernowsky • kwernowsky@pnj.com • December 4, 2009

"The promotion of a longtime assistant state attorney to a judgeship leaves an empty seat at the prosecution table in seven local murder cases, including that of Byrd and Melanie Billings."
<snip>
"Assistant State Attorney John Molchan will take Rimmer's place in the Billings case and also will handle most of the office's other murder cases as well, office spokesman Greg Marcille said Thursday."
 
Billings family moving on
Children mark first Christmas without parents

Travis Griggs &#8226; tgriggs@pnj.com &#8226; December 23, 2009

A framed copy of a newspaper story dated Christmas Day, 2005, hangs on the wall near the kitchen inside the Billings' Beulah house.

The front page photo depicts a grinning family sprawled across the house's playroom floor. In the middle, surrounded by a swarm of smiling kids, Byrd and Melanie Billings beam with pride.

It is a snapshot of a life many people didn't understand. A life with a dozen adopted children, many with special needs. A life of challenges, to be sure, but also happiness.

A life that on July 9, tragically was cut short....

http://www.pnj.com/article/20091223/NEWS01/912230328/Billings-family-moving-on
 
Billings case recap: Early Thursday Evening, July 9

I&#8217;ve been reviewing the various reports on the home invasion and murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings and have put together a narrative of the first eights days of the case, including the events of that tragic night and the subsequent arrests. The narrative is divided into days and in few instances subdivided further based on the events of the day. I will post the segments over the next few days.

(snipped)

http://ricksblog.biz/?p=8322
 
IT HASN&#8217;T SUNKEN IN

Friday, July 10

The Pensacola News Journal reports on its front page that &#8220;a Beulah couple who adopted 12 children and owned several local businesses were found shot to death in an apparent home invasion Thursday evening.&#8221;

In December 2005, the daily newspaper had featured the Billings family. At the time, they were the proud parents of 16 children. Twelve were adopted &#8212; among them, children of drug users, children who were sexually abused and children with developmental disabilities. Six of the 12 had Down syndrome. Two had died.

There was some confusion of the actual number of the children that the Bud and Melanie had adopted over the years. It took a few days before the media got the correct count of 18 children. Since the 2005 article, Bud and Melanie had adopted their granddaughter, Kristyn Billings.

Eight children, ages 8 to 14, were in the house when the shootings took place. The full magnitude of the story doesn&#8217;t sink in.

National media shows some interest. CNN reports it on its website with the title, &#8220;Couple who adopted 12 children slain.&#8221; CBS News reports &#8220;Parents of Sixteen Slain.&#8221;

&#8220;NO WAY, NO WAY&#8221;

The Investigators split up Friday morning.

(snipped)

http://ricksblog.biz/?p=8357
 
HUNT FOR RED VAN
Saturday, July 11

On Friday, Deputy Greg Smith of Baldwin County, Alabama contacted the ECSO. Investigator Hardy followed up on the call.

Smith discovered on Sunday, July 5 at 3:58 a.m., a red 1982 Dodge 15-passenger van abandoned at the Big Country Convenience Store located at the intersection of County Roads 87 and 32. It matched the BOLO (Be On Look Out) issued by the ECSO on the van used in the murders. Deputy Smith said the van had no tag, but he had the VIN registration: 2B7HB23E7CK113611.

The van is owned by John and Meredith Hartsfield, 1259 Lamb Drive, Gulf Breeze, Florida.

On Saturday, July 11, Hardy calls Hartsfield, who says that he had seen on Satruday&#8217;s front page of the Pensacola News Journal the surveillance photo of a van that looked like one that he had sold early last month. Hartsfield still has pictures that he had used to advertise the van on Craigslist.com and he emails them to Hardy.

(snipped)

http://ricksblog.biz/?p=8390
 
This is a no discussion thread. if your post was removed it was because you were discussing :)
 
http://www.pnj.com/article/20100123.../Rescue-earns-Cephas-the-Medal-of-Valor-award

Rescue earns Cephas the Medal of Valor award

Travis Griggs • tgriggs@pnj.com • January 23, 2010

........ Morgan also presented awards to more than 30 investigators and Sheriff's Office employees who participated in the investigation of the murders of Byrd and Melanie Billings in their Beulah home July 9.

Morgan said investigators worked around the clock piecing together evidence that led to eight arrests within four days of the murders.

Ashley and Blue Markham attended the ceremony. Ashley Markham came to the front of the room to hug each person as they received their medals.
 
http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11890791

Albany woman's bond denied in brutal FL murder case
Posted: Jan 27, 2010 5:50 PM EST

By Jennifer Emert

*SNIP*

ALBANY, GA (WALB) – An Albany woman charged in the home invasion shooting deaths of a Florida couple will remain in jail.

Wednesday, a judge again denied Wiggins bond. She's has been in jail since August after a grand jury upgraded charges against her from evidence tampering to a first degree felony.
----------
 
http://www.pnj.com/article/20100127/NEWS01/100127023

Billings murder suspect to enter plea
Travis Griggs • tgriggs@pnj.com • January 27, 2010

*snip*
Frederick Thornton Jr., 19, one of seven people charged with first-degree murder in the death of Byrd and Melanie Billings, is expected to enter a plea Thursday morning in circuit court.


State Attorney Bill Eddins announced Wednesday that Circuit Judge Nick Geeker had scheduled a 9:30 a.m. hearing Thursday with Thornton. Eddins declined to make specific comments on the case, but said Thornton may enter a plea during the hearing.


The Billingses were killed July 9 in their Beulah home during a home invasion and robbery. Five people reportedly rushed into the couple’s home and took a safe as two other men waited in separate getaway vehicles.


Six men and a teenager are charged with first-degree murder in the the couple’s deaths. An eighth person — a woman — is charged as an accessory after the fact.


So far, none of the people charged in the case have entered pleas.


Robert Beasley,the Billings family’s attorney, said the hearing is most likely the result of a deal Thornton had made with prosecutors.
-----------------
More at link
 
http://ricksblog.biz/?p=8760

Thornton may enter plea tomorrow

*snip*

Update 4:26 p.m.: We have heard that Thornton has agreed to testify in exchange for the State Attorney lowering the charges to second degree murder.
-----------
 
http://www.pnj.com/article/20100128.../Plea-deal-expected-today-in-Billings-murders

Thornton pleads guilty
Thornton could agree to testify
Travis Griggs • tgriggs@pnj.com • January 28, 2010

One of seven people charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the death of Byrd and Melanie Billings pleaded guilty this morning to second-degree murder.

Frederick Thornton Jr., 19, entered the plea before Circuit Judge Nick Geeker. He faces life in prison when he is sentenced.

By pleading guilty to second-degree murder, prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty.
--------------
More at Link
 
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