Fla. couple who adopted 12 children found slain

[cece]

Gary Sumner operated an automotive detail shop called "5th Dimension" on Duval Street in Fort Walton Beach.



link to images:

http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DP&Dato=20090721&Kategori=NEWS03&Lopenr=907210802&Ref=PH

[cece]

http://www.northescambia.com/?p=9676

NEW TODAY: Billings Donated To Gonzalez Jr; Attorney Won’t Confirm $100,000 In Second Safe
July 22, 2009
The Billings family attorney held a press conference this afternoon, fielding questions about safe supposedly containing $100,000 in the Billings home at the time of their murders.

Billings family attorney Crystal Spencer would not confirm or deny that there was a second safe in the Beulah home.  CNN has reported their sources as saying there was about $100,000 in the safe.

“There was nothing illegal in that home in any location that has been found by any investigative agency,” Spencer said.

“The Billings family wants to put these things to rest so that they can begin to grieve,” she said.

She would not comment about the guilt or innocence of any of the suspects that have been arrested in the murders.

She said daughter Ashley Markham has worked in the family auto businesses for about 12 years and there was no business conducted or loan to Leonard Gonzalez Jr.

Spencer said Byrd Billings contributed a “nominal” amount that she believed to be less than $1,000 to Gonzalez Jr.’s Project Fight Back karate program or some other martial arts project. She said it was not out of character for Billings to donate money to many groups.

“We have not been informed of an imminent or additional arrest,” she said.

[Fanny Mae]

http://www.northescambia.com/?p=9676

NEW TODAY: Billings Donated To Gonzalez Jr; Attorney Won’t Confirm $100,000 In Second Safe
July 22, 2009
The Billings family attorney held a press conference this afternoon, fielding questions about safe supposedly containing $100,000 in the Billings home at the time of their murders.

Billings family attorney Crystal Spencer would not confirm or deny that there was a second safe in the Beulah home.  CNN has reported their sources as saying there was about $100,000 in the safe.

“There was nothing illegal in that home in any location that has been found by any investigative agency,” Spencer said.

“The Billings family wants to put these things to rest so that they can begin to grieve,” she said.

She would not comment about the guilt or innocence of any of the suspects that have been arrested in the murders.

She said daughter Ashley Markham has worked in the family auto businesses for about 12 years and there was no business conducted or loan to Leonard Gonzalez Jr.

Spencer said Byrd Billings contributed a “nominal” amount that she believed to be less than $1,000 to Gonzalez Jr.’s Project Fight Back karate program or some other martial arts project. She said it was not out of character for Billings to donate money to many groups.

“We have not been informed of an imminent or additional arrest,” she said.

I just heard this on HLN about the safe. They are saying that the intruders wanted to get into the safe but they were unsucessful.  No link avail for this.   

[islandmonkey]

 

Local News set up outside my office window:

Ok, so I went out to ask WTH was going on and was told it was re: Billings case and the connections to 8 and contents of safe,..............BRB

[Fanny Mae]

Local News set up outside my office window:

Ok, so I went out to ask WTH was going on and was told it was re: Billings case and the connections to 8 and contents of safe,..............BRB

 

[islandmonkey]

Local News set up outside my office window:

Ok, so I went out to ask WTH was going on and was told it was re: Billings case and the connections to 8 and contents of safe,..............BRB

 

  Wow that was boring.....my office is right behind the Pensacola Cultural Center and I looked out the window and saw the WEAR truck, apparantly Crystal Spencer had a press conference earlier (which was very delayed) about the contents of the safe, and she's disputing the 100m amount , also the news guy told me CNN was here earlier today (guess I was snoozing  ). Anyway, they found the connection to Gonzales, Jr the same way we are researching-thru sunbiz.org and rumors here are rampant about a safe in the floor that had 100m in it.....time will tell

[no rose colored glasses]

That's interesting IM    How much was in the other safe?

[islandmonkey]

That's interesting IM    How much was in the other safe?

Rumor is 100m

[Magnolia]

That's interesting IM    How much was in the other safe?

Rumor is 100m

Island is it 100 milllion or 100 thousand?
100 thousand isn't enough for 8 people to share and take this chance....100 million is another story.

[Magnolia]

Interesting Document:

http://www.escambiaclerk.com/xml/xml.asp?ucase_id=29346966

[islandmonkey]

That's interesting IM    How much was in the other safe?

Rumor is 100m

Island is it 100 milllion or 100 thousand?
100 thousand isn't enough for 8 people to share and take this chance....100 million is another story.

100 thousand~sorry, m = 1,000 in my business, and I agree 100m isn't enough......but this LPG is a true pyscopath and I can see how he could have been offered 20m-50m for a hit and to fulfill his crazy desire to be some bad @ss ninja nut and overkill of the planning seems to fit his mentality to a T

[Blue Moon]

Interesting Document:

http://www.escambiaclerk.com/xml/xml.asp?ucase_id=29346966

Interesting...............

I talked to a sales manager today located in South Florida about this murder.  He says speculation is it was a hit by a very very bad group.  He said in Florida they have at least 3 main "BAD" groups.  One is mafia, 2nd is a gang (can't remember who he said it was) and 3rd is a Columbian drug gang.  He said anyone of them would be bad news for you if they had anything against you.  He said with the number of people involved in this he would venture to guess this would be mafia involved. He said he would do some asking around and see what he comes up with.

[islandmonkey]

Interesting Document:

http://www.escambiaclerk.com/xml/xml.asp?ucase_id=29346966

Interesting...............

I talked to a sales manager today located in South Florida about this murder.  He says speculation is it was a hit by a very very bad group.  He said in Florida they have at least 3 main "BAD" groups.  One is mafia, 2nd is a gang (can't remember who he said it was) and 3rd is a Columbian drug gang.  He said anyone of them would be bad news for you if they had anything against you.  He said with the number of people involved in this he would venture to guess this would be mafia involved. He said he would do some asking around and see what he comes up with.

Thanks! I had been hearing it was a hit since last week, but would love to know what he finds out.

[Fanny Mae]

Interesting Document:

http://www.escambiaclerk.com/xml/xml.asp?ucase_id=29346966

Interesting...............

I talked to a sales manager today located in South Florida about this murder.  He says speculation is it was a hit by a very very bad group.  He said in Florida they have at least 3 main "BAD" groups.  One is mafia, 2nd is a gang (can't remember who he said it was) and 3rd is a Columbian drug gang.  He said anyone of them would be bad news for you if they had anything against you.  He said with the number of people involved in this he would venture to guess this would be mafia involved. He said he would do some asking around and see what he comes up with.

Not knowing for sure, but the gangs you are probaby talking about are the "Bloods/Crips" westcoast types that have infiltrated the country, and MS-13 is the Colombian one. Then the Mafia types. None of which you want to mess with. There is another one, the Russian Mafia, and I don't know if it has infiltrated the panhandle or not. JMO

[Magnolia]

That's interesting IM    How much was in the other safe?

Rumor is 100m

Island is it 100 milllion or 100 thousand?
100 thousand isn't enough for 8 people to share and take this chance....100 million is another story.

100 thousand~sorry, m = 1,000 in my business, and I agree 100m isn't enough......but this LPG is a true pyscopath and I can see how he could have been offered 20m-50m for a hit and to fulfill his crazy desire to be some bad @ss ninja nut and overkill of the planning seems to fit his mentality to a T

I just can't figure how Gonzalez managed to drag all of these people into his scheme.
 He must have offered a reward of huge proportions for their participation.
I still think that Pamela Wiggins was a co-conspirator

[islandmonkey]

That's interesting IM    How much was in the other safe?

Rumor is 100m

Island is it 100 milllion or 100 thousand?
100 thousand isn't enough for 8 people to share and take this chance....100 million is another story.

100 thousand~sorry, m = 1,000 in my business, and I agree 100m isn't enough......but this LPG is a true pyscopath and I can see how he could have been offered 20m-50m for a hit and to fulfill his crazy desire to be some bad @ss ninja nut and overkill of the planning seems to fit his mentality to a T

I just can't figure how Gonzalez managed to drag all of these people into his scheme.
 He must have offered a reward of huge proportions for their participation.
I still think that Pamela Wiggins was a co-conspirator

I think you are right about Pam being a co-conspirator, I think she was in on this early on........but I heard that the group of thugs Gonzales jr was able to help was promised whatever they could take from the home.....so, they probably thought they could get into that 2nd safe OR they didn't even know the second safe existed.

[Magnolia]

This from Rick's blog:

Categorized Under: Escambia County, May 11 2009
Last November, a man walked into Pen Air/Members First Credit Union in the Live Oak Village Shopping Center, Gulf Breeze. He is described as a white male in a black hood sweatshirt and wearing blue jeans, black or brown shoes, black gloves and carrying a gun. He looks to be in his late 20s to early 30s around 5’8” and weighing about 180 lbs. His face was covered so that just his eyes were showing.

After robbing the credit union, he is seen driving off in a large red SUV.

The newspaper article on the crime wrote “the robber apparently planned the heist meticulously and knew the lay of the land.”

Does this sound like anyone we know in the Billings murders? Does it sound like a Ninja robber?

[Fanny Mae]

This from Rick's blog:

Categorized Under: Escambia County, May 11 2009
Last November, a man walked into Pen Air/Members First Credit Union in the Live Oak Village Shopping Center, Gulf Breeze. He is described as a white male in a black hood sweatshirt and wearing blue jeans, black or brown shoes, black gloves and carrying a gun. He looks to be in his late 20s to early 30s around 5’8” and weighing about 180 lbs. His face was covered so that just his eyes were showing.

After robbing the credit union, he is seen driving off in a large red SUV.

The newspaper article on the crime wrote “the robber apparently planned the heist meticulously and knew the lay of the land.”

Does this sound like anyone we know in the Billings murders? Does it sound like a Ninja robber?

Sure does, Magnolia. I don't think this was his first rodeo. 

[Fanny Mae]

MAGNOLIA, Do you know much about the State Attorney Bill Wiggins??  Would he have a dog in this fight?? He has been in the area a long time. JMO

[kc1234]

Reply to Eddins Background.  I can't get the quote thingy working right...

I worked for Mr. Eddins many years ago when we was in private practice.  He was a well respected mediator and worked on several high profile cases (first abortion killing and the young kids who killed their father).  Here is an article that gives a little more detail.

http://www.inweekly.net/article.asp?artID=182