7 Arrested For Murder of Gulf Coast Couple

Florida Murder Escambia County authorities feel confident they have all the people directly involved in the murder of a prominent Beulah couple behind bars and off the streets.

by Kimberly Curth

Published: Tue, July 14, 2009 - 7:40 pm CST Last Updated: Tue, July 14, 2009 - 8:01 pm CST

Escambia County authorities feel confident they have all the people directly involved in the murder of a prominent Beulah couple behind bars and off the streets. 7 men are now in custody, including a 16-year-old. Melanie and Byrd Billings, who were known for adopting special needs children, were found shot to death in their home last Thursday. Investigators believe two teams of intruders simultaneously entered their house at different locations wearing what the sheriff calls "ninja garb." Sheriff David Morgan says some of the suspects have military backgrounds and even practiced their attack plan for as long as 30 days before it was carried out. All 7 suspects will be charged with murder, including the teenager, who will be charged as an adult. The sheriff says they're looking at one other person, and another arrest could happen soon. Authorities say robbery was the primary motive.

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rolltider Says:

Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 5:09 pm

Wow. The Escambia County SO has done a great job so far getting these awful people where they belong. This is just a sad, sad case. All those children.