Posted on 07/14/2009 6:18:17 AM PDT by Federalist Patriot
Here is video from Nancy Grace last night where the murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings, a Florida couple with 16 children, was discussed in detail. Officials are now looking for up to eight suspects thought to be involved in the murders. Four suspects are already in custody. Reports say they were dressed in "Ninja-style" clothing and conducted the assault on the home with "military precision." The Billings had adopted 12 of the children, most of them with special needs like Autism and Down's Syndrome. . . . . . (Watch Video)
(Excerpt) Read more at freedomslighthouse.com ...
I hope Florida still has muscle behind the death penalty.
What was the motive behind the murders?
Weird.
Republican donor?
the consequences of liberal-progressivism.
This story made a hell of a lot more sense when it was just two idiots out for a robbery.
}:-)4
That is my question. What was their reason for killing these people.
According to the news this morning, they still say just a robbery.
But based on a number of things that were said, that's a load of crap. 8 men, dressed as ninja's, military tactics, in and out in 10 or 11 minutes, and went right to the parents bedroom, avoiding all the kids rooms, many with alarms on the doors.
How old are the older children? Could one have a vendetta against their parents? Just a wild hunch at this point, admittedly without a lot of knowledge of the details.
My guess it that the couple was familiar with one member of the gang (who was familiar with their wealth and the set up of their home). Perhaps a former employee. That person got the gang together.
Just a guess.
If this wasn’t so tragic I would say janet reno was involved
Points that tend to reinforce that possibility would be: (1) no apparent motive; and (2) if, in fact, the Billings couple knew none of the attackers.
Makes about as much sense as any other explanation at this point.
The children are listed as being aged 3 to 11. I doubt they have anything to do with hiring ninjas.
I agree...this thing was no random robbery gone bad. It was planned and executed with military precision. Very interesting case...

Pic of Gary Lamont Sumner, arrested suspect, from CNN.
It is conceivable that a biological child might have been upset at the inheritance might now be getting split among the adopted special-needs kids, but I'm not going to go down that route without further evidence.
One team of two three men entered the front of the house while another team of two men, all dressed in black ninja gear, entered through an unlocked back door of the home, he said.I'm guessing they were briefed on the layout of the house, where to go to find the Billings master bedroom, etc. Also, their ease of entrance would indicate an insider to both give them the layout and ensure the doors would be unlocked.The sheriff marveled at the speed of the attack, saying the invaders were in and out of the house in less than four minutes.
"This was a well-planned, methodical operation," Morgan said. "There was planning that went into this operation."
Well, the perps weren't ninja's, they just dressed that way.
I now read that 8 children were home at the time, and those were ages 8 to 14. The story says they were married 18 years ago and both brought 2 children from previous marriages, so they have children older than 18.
So they had 4 children total from previous marriages when they married, and then adopted 12. Jealousy of the attention given to the adopted children at the expense of the biological children? Again, wild hunch, but I'll stick with it for now.
That’s what I was thinking, wrong house.
bump
One of the things on the news was an interview with a local reporter who had interviewed the family recently. She said because of the “special needs” status of many of the adopted children, the doors to their rooms had alarms, so they would be alerted to their movement around the house.
The “robbers” managed to break in, and skip every one of the children’s rooms and head right to the master where the parents were. They knew exactly where to go.
One (upper left, I think) was a Karate instructor. Otherwise, a very random group. Definitely more details to come.
Good Lord...
I'm going to print this article up and carry in my CCW instructors folder and hand it to the next bozo who says we shouldn't own "weapons of war".
Idiot gun controllers refuse to acknowledge that we ARE AT WAR with both foreign and domestic (recidivist gang banger) criminals and terrorists!
FMCDH
Due to the surveillance & alarm systems in place, one would then investigate outside contractors and their employees who had been on location in the past.
This whole sad affair is just weird. My heart goes out to the kids most of all.
The initial report stated that three assailants entered the house from both front and rear. Even if you were at the ready with arms in hand, you'd be hard-pressed to come out alive, much less unscathed. If you're armed you can at the very least stand and deliver (from cover, preferably). This man and his wife never stood a chance.
It will be interesting to see how this unfolds and what the motive was.
Didn’t want to leave any witnesses?
In the former, you get out with your life (possibly)and get declared a hero. In the latter you most likely die, or get put in jail, and have all your stuff confiscated.
The actual raid is same same.
Coming soon...demand for licensing, background checks and registration on all sales of BDU’s and ski masks.
They only killed tha parents and let the kids live. ATF would have killed them all, burned the place down to conceal the evidence of what they actually did, and claim, like all law enforcement, that "they feared for their lives."
agree mostly, except that they are not “like all law enforcement”. They are in a class of their own.
I was actually the feebs that roasted the Branch Davidians after the ATF started the mess. It was the marshalls service and the feebs who killed Randy Weaver’s wife and kid. It was the Atlanta Police department that murdered a 92 year old woman and then planted drugs in her house. So as dispicable as the ATF is they really aren’t all that different from the rest of jackbootdom.
The news this morning said that two of the men had done yard work for the couple. My guess is that they cased the house for a robbery. The police said that the case was "very interesting" and not a straight up home invasion, but gave no more details.
If so, it would make sense how some are pure evil, and some are not.
I have leo friends, and if TSHTF, they will not be toeing the govt line.
Others that I know I don't get into much conversation with, due to their attitudes and probable allegiances.
Stands to reason that they're not all bad or all good, but I guessing that there are a higher percentage of statists in law enforcement than in the general populace. After all you don't go into law enforcement because you think that there are too many government laws abridging freedom and that you don't want to enforce them.
prolly not, but I suspect many join because it is a job, one that they either can do or are willing to learn.
Law Enforcement in my area are finding very organized gang activity from a few different walks of life reaching very deeply into what was formerly quiet, rural communities. This includes very recent legal and illegal immigrants to the country. They possess sophisticated weaponry, sophisticated alarm systems and varying levels of para-military organization.
Who knows what was the motivation for this attack. It is obvious to all that it was far beyond a random burglary. I think it is unwise to speculate too loudly until more facts are in.
Regardless, as law enforcement in my area has recommended to folks; Keep your eyes open, report suspicious / unusual activity that may be criminal, and make provisions -- if the need arises -- to take care of yourself until law enforcement can arrive. Around here that can be approximately 20 minutes.
Always follow the money trail....this group of thugs need money for their activities, whatever they are, and successful home invasions provide the wherewithal.
Leni
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,532423,00.html
A spokeswoman with the sheriff’s office said that more information would be announced later Tuesday by authorities from Escambia County. A press conference was planned for 1 p.m. EDT.
The new arrests, both in a nearby county, bring the total to six.
I know.
That's exactly what I was thinking, in an equally uninformed way. I could easily see a disgruntled natural child -- with drug/money problems, perhaps -- going "ninja" on his folks after they'd pissed him off for the last time.
The news this morning said that two of the men had done yard work for the couple. My guess is that they cased the house for a robbery. The police said that the case was "very interesting" and not a straight up home invasion, but gave no more details.
I hope that Florida is building an 8 station gallows to entertain the killers.
This is beyond heinous.
one of the arrests today is 16 years old. Press conference about to start. Looking for live feed
http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wear_vid_2698.shtml
I’m betting that armed wholesale slaughter of this sort was related to drugs or drug money. Or maybe the old man was a snitch. It usually is.
They had the sheriff on the local news along with one of the victims daughters.
According to the sheriff, it appears to be a simple case of robbery carried out by an organized gang who had done similar things before.
They took a safe but it must not have been recovered as the sheriff said he does not know it’s contents. Other items of value were also taken in the amazingly short time of four minutes.
Three Whites, Three Blacks and the other I don’t know. Some were current and former military. It sort of reminds me of the guys who carried out the famous Clutter killings. Criminals commonly think wealthy people keep large amounts of cash at home but they usually don’t.
Thanks for the update.
Yes, another sad “In Cold Blood” situation. Prayers for the kids. Mom and dad are in a better place (especially now).
What a shame the victim didn’t get the drop on the bast**ds and blow a few of them away.
Points out once again that when it comes to personal safety, we really are pretty much on our own.
The government can have MY guns when they pry them from my cold, dead fingers.
At least a few of the “perps” had done work around the house (pressure washing, etc) if anything this sounds a little like the Elizabeth Smart thing where the family was well off and was generous to less well off in their community, paying them to do work around their home, then the people they felt sorry for used their generosity to case the place and plan the assault on them... we are in a society where it doesn’t pay to take pitty on some people.
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