Please subscribe to keep reading. The footage showed two vehicles pulling up at the house in the evening, with five suspects entering from the front and the back doors. It didnt take this long. Two Medicine Water Company is facing penalties at the Browning Lagoon Wastewater Treatment Facility and Two Medicine Water Treatment Plant on . The death of 16-year-old Selena Not Afraid has been ruled accidental. Its what they must rely on, to catch the killers and bring them to justice. By the spring of 1989, the remains of nine victims had been discovered along the highways surrounding the city. I was still stunned, given how many families are involved in these cases and how much media attention these cases have started to get.. In Pensacola Florida, two loving parents are brutally gunned down in their own home. There were eight people in total who faced charges related to this case, but only five of the number entered the Billings home, and the ringleader was later determined to be Leonard Gonzalez. Melanie, Byrds wife, was twenty years younger than him. All the historical issues that emanated from colonization hundreds of years ago, that was the butterfly effect of how we got to where we are today.. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The story you haven't been told about Patrick Gonzalez Jr. That DNA doesnt match anyone arrested. The safe was found on the property of Pamela Long-Wiggins, who was Leonard Jrs landlord. Authorities had five of the seven suspects in custody and as detectives prepared to question them, the remaining two suspects surfaced: Patrick Gonzalez was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and armed home invasion robbery. Native Americans comprise 6.7% of the states population, yet they account for, on average, 26% of Montanas missing persons population. We knew right from the beginning we did not want this to be newsy or information-driven, Galkin said. Its really dense, and its really sensitive.. All of them except Patrick Gonzalez agreed to plea deals, resulting in life sentences for Stallworth and Coldiron and lengthy prison terms for the others, according to Floribama Murders.. Several Native American tribes have canceled school, work, activities and in some cases, health clinics, amid freezing temperatures. Anyone that is older than myself, I have to sit and listen., Benally said she was adamant the production be made in an appropriate and ethical way. Get information about the Billings children's special needs trust. , the couples oldest children, Ashley and Justin, who were from previous marriages, rushed to the home. It was owned by Pamela Long Wiggins, who was in the real estate business. Investigators tracked down Leonard Gonzalez and brought him in for questioning. The tapes showed a large red passenger van had pulled into the driveway at the time of the slayings. The ongoing Murdaugh family saga exposes murders, a suspicious death and a complex labyrinth of corruption. The Billings family was well-known in the Pensacola, Florida, area. Examining the footage, it was clear that multiple suspects were involved in the burglary and it was exceptionally well planned. Rae Senarighi, best known for colorful abstracts, intricate typography and vivid portraiture, is bringing his exhibition, Transcend, to the Holter Museum of Art in Helena. Billings murder documentary on Investigation Discovery channel tonight @ 9 pm, PS Podcast: Patty Hightower on school safety, PS: Rep. Clay Ingram gives latest updates on the Florida House , Salzman wants School Superintendent to resign, Breaking: Humane Society releases CPA report, FPL plans to increase electric bill rates in April, Breaking: School Board to vote on returning to elected superintendent. The Billings family was well-known in the Pensacola, Florida, area. The crime scene photos . The intruders were in and out of the house in less than five minutes. Locating the red van was top priority, so law enforcement reached out to the public through the media, according to Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan. PENSACOLA, Fla. (CBS/AP) The ringleader who led a group of armed men dressed as ninjas in the robbery and murders of Byrd and Melanie Billings, a Florida couple known for adopting children with. While the robbery appeared to be well planned, the police believed that one of the accomplices failed to turn off the security cameras, which later became primary evidence in the case. Nobody would know me or trust me in this area, and I knew that going in with eyes wide open, and I wouldnt expect them to trust me.. The arrest would lead to several people put behind bars including Lenny. The next, they were innocent victims of a methodical murder plot. A multi-agency task force arrested a Billings man Sunday who is accused of several previous crimes, including shooting a man earlier this month in Lockwood. Scenes were filmed in Billings, Hardin, Lame Deer and Crow Agency. 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For one, the getaway van that had linked Patrick with the murder case had multiple problems, including a busted second gear and reverse gear. 3,945 views Jul 19, 2009 Such a senseless murder that has left a community in mourning. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Ayasha Momberg, 6, holds a photo of her cousin Ashley Heavyrunner Loring, 20, who disappeared from the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in north-central Montana in the summer of 2017. Also, 9mm shell casings were recovered from the scene. He had taken a loan from Byrd to set up a martial arts studio. Making a Murderer is an American true crime documentary that had taken the Internet by storm upon its release. Im still processing it., When he was young, Bear Don't Walk said his uncles would visit each other and draw. During the series, she discusses the unsolved case of her aunt Beverly Diane Brien, found dead in 1977 at the Big Horn County Fairgrounds. On the evening of July 9, 2009, a brash break-in at the Billings residence led to a horrific conclusion. Detectives questioned the Billings children, and Justinprovided a possible lead. By Chuck Baldwin. They were scared to death, investigators said. Most of the nearly 80 people attending dressed in red, a symbol of the MMIW movement. 799K views 1 year ago In today's murder and crime documentary, we're covering cases of the world's YOUNGEST killers. He had participated and been sentenced to probation for an adoption scam with one of his wives: He and Cindy Reeve had pleaded, Update: Police Release Dead Serial Killers Account of Murder of Samantha Koenig. Brien walks the viewer through the complexities of the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and other agencies that respond to crimes on reservations and the jurisdictional issues and systematic failures that can happen during those investigations. Both of them had two biological children, each from their previous relationships but adopted 12 children, most of them with special needs. The team spent two years working on the series, and they filmed more than 60 days during a half dozen visits, starting in September 2021. Nine of their children were present when masked intruders entered the house and killed 66-year-old Byrd and 43-year-old Melanie. With all these details brought to light, and with Patrick still fighting a death sentence and Lenny now gone after passing away behind bars due to cancer, Jimmie Lee Staley continues to seek for the truth behind the Billings murder case. It's what they must rely on, to catch the killers and bring them to justice. The murders of Bud and Melanie Billings occurred on or about July 9, 2009, in Pensacola, Florida, United States. The Billings had a total of 16 children, some of whom were from previous marriages and some who had been adopted by the couple. It seemed par for the course, and it also seemed like a conversation that was quite prevalent inside the sheriffs office and inside a lot of law enforcement in that area. The killers were all dressed in black in a manner described as ninja-like by the local sheriff, a characteristic which helped give the gang the name The Karate Killers. By now, most Americans are familiar with the horrific murder of a Pensacola, Florida, couple by the name of Byrd and Melanie Billings. Credit:Showtime. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. Theyreviewed surveillance tapes at a Walmart near Patricks home in Santa Rosa County, where they found footage of him purchasing the black boots and black clothing. The first two shots to Buds legs were captured on camera. In the series, Winburn described certain obstacles, including family members who wanted their 15 minutes of fame, which he said put more pressure on the Big Horn County Sheriffs Office. Leonard Sr also told the police that he was the getaway driver while the others broke into the house. However, these allegations have not been proved. Shacaiah Blue Harding, who was last seen in the Billings area in 2018 and is assumed to be a victim of sex trafficking, is also featured. The center is a Native-led nonprofit dedicated to ending violence against Native women and children, and Simpson is featured prominently in the series. Directors Ian Clark Ben Mole He was sentenced to death for the first two counts and life in prison for the invasion. Detectives questioned the Billings children, and Justin provided a possible lead. Ivy and I have always understood that the ways in which non-Indigenous people learn about Indigenous people is through media, Ivan MacDonald said. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Billings murder documentary on Investigation Discovery channel tonight @ 9 pm Rick Outzen March 17, 2015 The Investigation Discovery series "See No Evil" covers the July 9, 2009 murders of Bud and Melanie Billings. The suspects were caught on the familys surveillance system. He'd incorporated a boat company and a different car company in the 1980s. Bud Billings, 66, and his wife, Melanie, 43, were found shot to death on July 9, 2009. On the day of the murders, Leonard and Patrick Gonzalez, along with Florence, Sumner, and Thornton, pulled up to the Billings house in a red minivan and broke in. At the time of filming, Brien was the general manager and editor of Big Horn County News. See production, box office & company info, Self - Neighbor of Byrd and Melanie Billings, Self - Daughter of Byrd and Melanie Billings. Authorities concluded she died of exposure. Since colonization, our Native women have been targeted. Three days after the murder, a man was arrested after leads noted that his van matched the description of the getaway vehicle in the Billings murder. Now, their tragic deaths haunt the community and the children they left behind. He was with three other men identified as, Wayne Coldiron, Donnie Stallworth, and Gary Sumner, names. July 17, 2009. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. Billings police investigate the scene of a homicide on the 200 block of South 29th Street at 2 a.m. Sunday. As deputies searched the house, the couples nine adopted special needs children were found cowering in terror and hiding in closets. Mrs. Gonzalez allowed detectives to take the shoe box and to tow the van. As soon as we walked in that door, we knew.. For more information, visit festival.sundance.org. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. It was the home of Leonard Gonzalez, whose wife spoke with investigators. Frederick and Rakeem took plea deals and agreed to testify against Leonard Jr. At Leonard Jrs trial in late 2010, the prosecution stated that he was the mastermind behind the plan. Byrd and Melinda Billings Another safe, a small one in the master bedroom for personal keepsakes and documents, was missing. It turned out that there was more to the Billings family than the all-American history that their prior media image implied. Florence and Thornton ultimately agreed to testify against their co-conspirators, and Leonard Gonzalez was soon identified as the ringleader and the main gunman. Bear Dont Walk remembers watching, listening and drawing . Luella Brien, a journalist based in Hardin who grew up on the Crow Reservation, is the central narrator in the production. 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