Fla. couple who adopted 12 children found slain

[cece]

http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream2

Sorry, disregard this link.  Presser now over.

[cece]

updated article:

http://www.northescambia.com/?p=9508

BREAKING NEWS –UPDATED 3:15 p.m. –


Pamela Laverne Long, a person of interest in Billings murders has been found.

Sheriff David Morgan said she was located in Orange Beach, Alabama, at a marina. Morgan said she is not in custody, but is driving back to Pensacola from Orange Beach, Alabama.

“We know that she was associated with Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr. up until the day of the murders,” Morgan said. “She is a person of interest because of her association with him.”

Mogan described Long as both a landlord and friend to Gonzalez Jr. She is considered both a suspect and a witness.

A second person of interest is being sought because of their involvement with the security system at the Billings home. The person was exterior to the home and not in the house.

There were two possibilities in shutting down the security system at the Billings home — either access from within the home or remotely via the Internet.

[no rose colored glasses]

Thanks for the update.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/15/florida.couple.slain/
Police find woman wanted for questioning in Fla. killings case
PENSACOLA, Florida (CNN)  -- Authorities have located a woman they want to question in connection with the slaying of a couple who adopted special-needs children, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said Wednesday.

Pamela Long, also known as Pamela Wiggins and by other names, is a "person of interest" in the Florida case.
 Pamela Laverne Long has been found in Orange Beach, Alabama, Morgan said.

She is returning to Escambia County, Florida, he said.

Long is a real estate agent and had rented property to one of the suspects already arrested in the case, Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr., according to Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan, who described Long as a "person of interest."

"We believe Miss Long has significant and substantial information we need to conclude this case," Morgan said.

Morgan said Long used numerous aliases -- Pamela Long Wiggins, Pamela Elle Malden, Pamela Long Link and Pamela Laverne Long Coco -- but cautioned that the aliases may simply be the result of numerous marriages. Long is not believed to be a danger to the community, he said.

The sheriff said a second "person of interest" was also being sought for questioning, but he did not elaborate.

Byrd and Melanie Billings were shot and killed July 9 in their Beulah, Florida, home near the Alabama state line. Law enforcement officials said a safe and other items were missing from the house and have cited robbery as a motive. Video Watch surveillance video of the home invasion »

Seven males-- one of them a 16-year-old -- are already in custody and will face murder charges in the killings. Morgan said the seven suspects are the ones who actually entered the Billingses' home. Video Watch officials express relief at arrests »

Police said Tuesday they know the name and location of one more suspect involved in the crime. Morgan would not say Wednesday if Long was that person.

The sheriff's news conference came shortly after the Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed it is assisting in the probe of the murders. Video Watch sheriff describe crimes »

"Escambia County sheriff's department did call for our assistance this week," David Melenkevitz, spokesman for the DEA in Miami, Florida, said.

Morgan wouldn't confirm the DEA's involvement during the briefing to reporters.
 The Billingses at one time had 13 adopted children, many with special needs. Three of those children had died over the years. The couple also each had two biological children of their own, but no biological children together.

Nine of the couple's children were home at the time of the incident, Morgan said Tuesday, and police believe three of them saw the intruders. One managed to flee the home and seek help at a neighbor's house, the sheriff said.

Authorities have said the break-in was well-rehearsed and that at least two of the suspects had military training. Morgan said the men were on the Billingses' property for 10 minutes and were in and out of the house in four. Video Watch experts describe the "military-style" attack »

But the sheriff said Wednesday there was a "gaping hole" in what was otherwise a well-executed crime: "Why was the security system not disabled?"


"The execution was basically flawless," and authorities believe the suspects "entered the compound with the belief that they were not under surveillance," Morgan said.

"We're now looking at anyone who may have had an involvement with the security system," he said. "We believe that there is an additional person, and that was their task and they failed."

[islandmonkey]

Investigators work at a marina in Orange Beach, Ala., where Pamela Long was found. Sheriff David Morgan said Long is returning of her own volition. (Brian Kelly / bkelly@pnj.com)

 
Purchase this Photo

Investigators lead Pamela Long, left, from a dock at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Ala. She is a person of interest in the Billings murder case and is returning to Escambia County. (Brian Kelly / bkelly@pnj.com)

 
Pamela Long is being sought for questioning by Escambia County deputies.

Gonzalez Jr. talks talk, won't walk



 

[no rose colored glasses]

Thanks, Pamela looks bigger then the picture that LE showed, must have been her drivers license.

[islandmonkey]

Thanks, Pamela looks bigger then the picture that LE showed, must have been her drivers license.

  I wasn't even going to touch that one~but, I'd have NEVER recognized her, would you have?????? 

[Fanny Mae]

Thanks, Pamela looks bigger then the picture that LE showed, must have been her drivers license.

[crazybabyborg]

If all they had was her driver's license picture, I'm amazed she was ever found! That's some disguise she's wearing.....

[Fanny Mae]

Island, or any other monkey that might know, what time of day was this when the murders happened? Why I am asking is it appeared to be daylight in the videos I have seen. It must have been early in the morning, and all the more confusing, because of that time of day, it may have been more likely that someone would have been awake and seen them. I thought I heard that they were murdered in their bedroom, which made me think they were still asleep. I wondered about the alarm system, and did they really have a dog, as there was a "Bad Dog" sign on a fence.

Possibly not asleep, though. Maybe they were taken to the room where the safe was, and it was probably in a closet of the bedroom. Also, for the number of people involved, it may have been for the size and weight of the safe.

It is all a very strange case. I am very familiar with the area. I used to live on the Alabama coast, and we were almost sister cities. The whole thing makes me very sad. We were looking today at a picture that was taken from the Dairy Queen parking lot overlooking the I-10 bridge that was destroyed by hurricaine Ivan later.

I saw the press conference today with the Escambia County Sheriff and thought it was very well done. At least this happened in Florida, where we will be getting more information further down the road due to the Sunshine Laws.

God Bless these people. 

I totally agree that something doesn't add up in this case; 30 days of these monsters "practicing", 7 arrested, one more they are waiting to arrest.....I'm starting to wonder if the rumors we are hearing are true.

Fanny, IIRC these murders happened sometime after 7pm last Thursday night which was perfect timing as last week was "Blue Angel's Week", with over 100m more people on the beach and so most of Escambia County and even Santa Rosa County cops were on the beach. Apparantly the murders are even on the video tapes the LE retrieved from the Billing's home.......SICK!!!!!!!!!!

Where did you live Orange Beach, Perdido Key, Gulf Shores????

Ivan did bring mass destruction here, although I wasn't living on the beach at the time but there are a ton of empty lots scattered along the beach still today.

A little O/T

IM, sorry to be so long answering you. I did not live in any of those places, but in Mobile. I grew up there and spent many summers and happy times in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and at Pirates Cove on Perdido Bay. The last time I stayed there was at the Phoenix Condos, but growing up there were cottages all along the beach before Fredrick got them. After that the real estate moguls came in and bought them up and built all the high rises.

Pensacola beach was also a stomping grounds for me most of my life. The Perdido bridge on the west end of Perdido Key was nicknamed by my family the "Wow Bridge" because the view was so breathtaking, the water so beautiful and the sand so powder white.

Florabama was "the place" to go and spent many a happy time there with the sand floors. We met Jimmy Buffet at Pirates Cove, south of Elberta. He was as friendly and nice guy as he appeared on stage.

We always went over to see the Blue Angels, and practice day was just as fun as the real performance. It is hard to explain to someone who hasn't seen those low passes over the water and the boats and people. I miss the area very much.

It is so horrible to think that this kind of crime has happened in a little place like Beulah. It was always so peaceful to drive thru, but I really didn't know anyone that lived there. 

I am seeing no names that I or my family recognize so far. I hope I don't end up knowing those creeps. They are not on my radar from my LE years either. I am holding my breath for the next shoe to drop.
It sound to me like it is not over.   

[Toler]

Murder of Couple With 16 Kids
Pamela Long Wiggins Is Eighth Person Charged in Deaths During Florida Home Invasion
By LEE FERRAN, STEVE OSUNSAMI, EMILY FRIEDMAN and BILL McGUIRE
July 15, 2009 
72 comments Font Size   PrintRSSE-mailShare this story with friendsFacebookRedditTwitterStumbleUponMore
A woman sought as a "person of interest" in the killing of Florida super parents Byrd and Melanie Billings was charged late Wednesday with being an accessory after the fact for felony murder.

Ashley Markham talks about the investigation and the hope for her siblings.Pamela Long Wiggins, 47, had returned to Florida Wednesday with a police escort for questioning, just hours after police held up her photo in a nationally televised news conference. She is the eighth person to be charged in connection with the case that has rocked the Florida panhandle.

Wiggins is a real estate agent with ties to two of the men already in custody. Police don't believe she was at the house at the time of the shooting.

Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said in a news conference that Wiggins has a lawyer and spoke with his investigators. More details of her alleged involvement in the case will be provided at a news conference set for 10 a.m. ET Thursday.

Wiggins was spotted by Alabama police in a marina in the town of Orange Beach and apparently did not know police were searching for her.

Wiggins is a "family friend" and landlord to Leonard Gonzalez Jr., who police called a "pivotal" player in the July 9 double murder, Morgan said.

"We know she was associated with [Gonzalez Jr.] up until the day of the murders," Morgan said.

Morgan says that Wiggins has several aliases, including Pamela Wiggins, Pamela Malden, Pamela Long and Pamela Laverne Long Coco, according to NorthEscambia.com.

Eight suspects are now in custody and there are other person of interest, in what Morgan called a "perfect executed" murder. However, police said they believe they have all those who entered the house in custody.

One other unidentified person of interest, police believe, was someone who was tasked with disabling the Billings' elaborate surveillance system, but failed to do so.

"Obviously there was supposed to be an eight or ninth person" that was supposed to take care of the survellance, Morgan said. "To the best of my knowledge [that person of interest] was not in the home" during the murders.

According to public records consistent with information provided by Morgan, Wiggins is a 47-year-old Georgia woman who was charged with felony grand theft in 1988. That charge was dropped to a misdemeanor to which she pleaded guilty.

The deaths of the Billings couple shocked the country because they had dedicated their lives to caring for disabled children. They had four children of their own, but adopted 12 others, including children with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.

Earlier Wednesday, the Billings' oldest daughter said she is shocked at the brutal killings that left her and 16 other siblings parentless.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=8086274&page=1

More at link and lots of comments.

[crazybabyborg]

Good Morning Monkeys!   

I just heard on the morning news that there will be a presser at 10:00am today. They've charged Long with accessory after the fact, and said they were able to obtain evidence from her that should help in obtaining convictions in this case.

I hope so! This is one of the most bizarre cases I've ever seen!

[no rose colored glasses]

Good Morning Monkeys!   

I just heard on the morning news that there will be a presser at 10:00am today. They've charged Long with accessory after the fact, and said they were able to obtain evidence from her that should help in obtaining convictions in this case.

I hope so! This is one of the most bizarre cases I've ever seen!

I also saw this on the news this morning 

[islandmonkey]

Island, or any other monkey that might know, what time of day was this when the murders happened? Why I am asking is it appeared to be daylight in the videos I have seen. It must have been early in the morning, and all the more confusing, because of that time of day, it may have been more likely that someone would have been awake and seen them. I thought I heard that they were murdered in their bedroom, which made me think they were still asleep. I wondered about the alarm system, and did they really have a dog, as there was a "Bad Dog" sign on a fence.

Possibly not asleep, though. Maybe they were taken to the room where the safe was, and it was probably in a closet of the bedroom. Also, for the number of people involved, it may have been for the size and weight of the safe.

It is all a very strange case. I am very familiar with the area. I used to live on the Alabama coast, and we were almost sister cities. The whole thing makes me very sad. We were looking today at a picture that was taken from the Dairy Queen parking lot overlooking the I-10 bridge that was destroyed by hurricaine Ivan later.

I saw the press conference today with the Escambia County Sheriff and thought it was very well done. At least this happened in Florida, where we will be getting more information further down the road due to the Sunshine Laws.

God Bless these people. 

I totally agree that something doesn't add up in this case; 30 days of these monsters "practicing", 7 arrested, one more they are waiting to arrest.....I'm starting to wonder if the rumors we are hearing are true.

Fanny, IIRC these murders happened sometime after 7pm last Thursday night which was perfect timing as last week was "Blue Angel's Week", with over 100m more people on the beach and so most of Escambia County and even Santa Rosa County cops were on the beach. Apparantly the murders are even on the video tapes the LE retrieved from the Billing's home.......SICK!!!!!!!!!!

Where did you live Orange Beach, Perdido Key, Gulf Shores????

Ivan did bring mass destruction here, although I wasn't living on the beach at the time but there are a ton of empty lots scattered along the beach still today.

A little O/T

IM, sorry to be so long answering you. I did not live in any of those places, but in Mobile. I grew up there and spent many summers and happy times in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and at Pirates Cove on Perdido Bay. The last time I stayed there was at the Phoenix Condos, but growing up there were cottages all along the beach before Fredrick got them. After that the real estate moguls came in and bought them up and built all the high rises.

Pensacola beach was also a stomping grounds for me most of my life. The Perdido bridge on the west end of Perdido Key was nicknamed by my family the "Wow Bridge" because the view was so breathtaking, the water so beautiful and the sand so powder white.

Florabama was "the place" to go and spent many a happy time there with the sand floors. We met Jimmy Buffet at Pirates Cove, south of Elberta. He was as friendly and nice guy as he appeared on stage.

We always went over to see the Blue Angels, and practice day was just as fun as the real performance. It is hard to explain to someone who hasn't seen those low passes over the water and the boats and people. I miss the area very much.

It is so horrible to think that this kind of crime has happened in a little place like Beulah. It was always so peaceful to drive thru, but I really didn't know anyone that lived there. 

I am seeing no names that I or my family recognize so far. I hope I don't end up knowing those creeps. They are not on my radar from my LE years either. I am holding my breath for the next shoe to drop.
It sound to me like it is not over.   

I agree Fanny~there is NO way to describe to sound and feel from when the Blues buzz you, and usually every Sunday they buzz the beach when returning from an air show-I never get tired of it.

This case is getting stranger by the hour.....news today states she has a Rolls Royce, a 45 ft, yacht (also heard this was Gonzales, Jr's yacht though), and 5 properties in pre-foreclosure. HELLO what is wrong with this picture. They are having another presser in about 4 minutes so I will report anything I find out.

[islandmonkey]

  Just a quick note~I just heard that there was some evidence found at the wharf marina at Orange Beach, AL.........still waiting on presser.

[no rose colored glasses]

Just a quick note~I just heard that there was some evidence found at the wharf marina at Orange Beach, AL.........still waiting on presser.

I could have sworn they found the safe at the marina, but haven't heard anymore on it.

[islandmonkey]

Just a quick note~I just heard that there was some evidence found at the wharf marina at Orange Beach, AL.........still waiting on presser.

I could have sworn they found the safe at the marina, but haven't heard anymore on it.

That's what we have heard, and also what it looked like in the local video.....but, this crazy biatch is reportedly already out on bond!!!!!!!!!!!

[no rose colored glasses]

I will say one thing LE has done a fantastic job with everything so far. But I'm sure they must be shocked where all this is leading 

[msmarple]

At this am's presser - safe recovered, and probably murder weapon(s) ...

[islandmonkey]

I will say one thing LE has done a fantastic job with everything so far. But I'm sure they must be shocked where all this is leading 

I think so too, and I remember way back the sheriff stating that "it's like a humdinger (southern word) movie script", also just heard from locals that the safe was found in Pamela Long Wiggins back yard in Gulf Breeze, so have heard marina and back yard so far...........