He'd incorporated a boat company and a different car company in the 1980s. So, the news of their murders as part of a burglary shocked everyone. Before July 2009, Melanie and Bud were bestknown in Pensacola, Florida, as a generous, good-hearted couple who opened their home to children with severe disabilities. It's what they must rely on, to catch the killers and bring them to justice. An investigation revealed that a safe was missing from the house. Watch and see how Ashley's life is today. Weve been historically excluded from that space, and theres been misinformation and miseducation. Scenes were filmed in Billings, Hardin, Lame Deer and Crow Agency. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Working in Big Horn County, I dont believe MMIW is real, he added. But theres a reason that you are out there. This is really a deep dive into these structural aspects of jurisdiction in Indian Country, legal barriers to justice, the political and cultural climate and why these cases arent taken seriously, he said. The bodies of entrepreneur Byrd Bud Billings, 66, and his wife, Melinda, 43, were found in the master bedroom of the sprawling estate. It didnt take this long. The first two shots to Buds legs were captured on camera. Both of them had two biological children, each from their previous relationships but adopted 12 children, most of them with special needs. 51m. 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. Ivan said authentic Native representation in film is vital. Patrick Gonzalez was allowed to leave. The next, they were innocent victims of a methodical murder plot. I think what he did is absolutely demonic to kill people in front of their kids, said Guy. The caller reported that a married couple had been shot in their home and that their children were still in the house. He claimed his father had brain damage and that the van barely moved in a recorded interview with authorities. The arrest would lead to several people put behind bars including Lenny. We are not going to have answers, Benally said. agreed to tell police everything he knew about the crime including who was in the van, provided prosecutors took a possible death penalty off the table, according to Floribama Murders., Detectives focused on the crime scene videos and observed the black boots worn by the home invaders. The murders were witnessed by their ten-year-old son, Jake, who at one point was told he was going to be killed, only for another member of the gang who stepped in to stop his accomplice from shooting the youngster. While there are more questions than answers, the Conjuring Justice blog owner hopes that people put in charge of the case will veer away from corrupt practices and see the case without bias or malintent. 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. They were the parents of 17 children, 13 of whom were adopted most of whom had disabilities. 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. Byrd Billings was a shady character with many questionable affairs in his life. . 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. 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.. Now, not only are people learning about Indigenous people, but Indigenous people are behind the camera telling these stories.. Eiteljorg Museum Curator Dorene Red Cloud said Sean Chandler was a clear choice for the selectors., Its been crazy, said Elias Jade NotAfraid. The MacDonalds cousin, Ashley Loring HeavyRunner, is one of thousands of missing or murdered Indigenous women, a crisis so prevalent it has its own acronym, MMIW. about this case, please contact us, or call 1-508 . Investigators had also noted that Gonzalez Sr. was flustered on the day police showed up on his door, but no one had noted that he had an array of mental disorders, including schizophrenia. Meanwhile. But after uncovering many questionable details, independent investigation blog Conjuring Justice is making a compelling case that proves that the perpetrators of the crime are still at large. We are given a chance to present this information and these stories in however way we want to present them, Benally said. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, After escaping 'religious cult', Montana woman faces new challenges with honeyberry farm, 'Buffalo take care of us': First Blackfeet buffalo hunt open to all was a success, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Business Buzz: New coffee shop, bakery opens in Missoula, 'A hearty animal': Yaks roam 1,000-acre ranch outside of Kalispell, Name of man killed during Clinton Market incident released, Homeless Missoulians get creative to survive extreme cold. Shot over 15 years, it is the real story of Wisconsin-based Steven Avery, who was wrongly accused of the sexual assault and attempted murder of Penny Beerntsen and had to serve 18 years in prison since his arrest in 1985. . Survivors reflect on the shocking boat crash that killed vibrant teenager Mallory Beach - and the demons that haunted troubled driver Paul Murdaugh. Brien has lived in and around the Crow Reservation her whole life and is the founder of Four Points Press, based in Crow Agency and the only Indigenous news outlet in the region. Luella Brien, a journalist based in Hardin who grew up on the Crow Reservation, is the central narrator in the production. RELATED:Man's Secret Identity Exposed After He Viciously Attacked Alabama Mom. You can stream episodes here. This led the authorities to his son, Leonard Gonzalez Jr. Leonard Jr taught self-defense classes and had some previous contact with the Billingses. To learn more about the case, watch Floribama Murders, airing Saturdays at 9/8c on Oxygen. He reached out to Benally, who was hesitant at first to work with a non-Native on a film about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. It provides a crash course in the scandals and deaths that have engulfed the old-money Murdaugh family for years, including a fatal boating accident, the mysterious deaths of a family housekeeper. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. We knew right from the beginning we did not want this to be newsy or information-driven, Galkin said. After Bud and Melinda Billings were murdered, investigators discovered multiple people were connected to the crime. She was later charged with being an accessory after the fact. Scenes were filmed in Billings, Hardin, Lame Deer and Crow Agency. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. Also, some witnesses who pointed to Patrick as the gunman had claimed they had seen his face when the surveillance video showed that the gunmen had their masks on the whole time. We are filmmakers, and we can only do so much.. Investigators learned that Bud Billings was a successful businessman who ran a finance company. 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. Though he and Melanie had been married 18 years, Byrd "Bud" Billings had been married two times before. provided a possible lead. Jake was mute and could only help the police by using sign language; however, he later proved instrumental in solving the crime. 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. You have permission to edit this article. Some speculated that the Billings adopted children so that they could receive money from the government. The third and final episode does not tie a neat bow around the cases, nor does it attempt to solve them. Great Burn: 'One of the last best places' but for whom? So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we? On July 11, a caller reported that a van matching the description of the one sheriffs were after was behind a shed at a residence in West Pensacola. The investigators were aided by the numerous surveillance cameras that were dotted throughout the Billings home. The Billings family was well-known in the Pensacola, Florida, area. 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. Investigators theorized that the Billings case was a money score for Wiggins but turned into a "robbery that went horrifically bad, said Morgan. I dont think the issue is real.. Florence told officials that Leonard Gonzalez had promised him $2,000 or $3,000 to carry this deed out, investigators said. These are not true-crime stories to us. You article ignores many facts. A spotlight is once again on Big Horn County in a new documentary series on Showtime that highlights the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous girls and women. Read More: How Did Megan Leann Holden Die? Fortunately, none of the children were harmed. Keeping the community informed is important. Together, they produced "Murder in Big Horn," which will premiere at Sundance Film Festival in January 2023. 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. The elder Gonzalez may have been on the Billings property for his business. It certainly added an element to the series that I think is quite important for people to see and to hear.. This is the story of. The Karate Killers airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery. Also, 9mm shell casings were recovered from the scene. Im still processing it., When he was young, Bear Don't Walk said his uncles would visit each other and draw. So, the news of their murders as part of a burglary shocked everyone. : Emails From Death Row chronicles the complex case that had multiple people involved in the burglary plan, with everyone eventually facing justice. In July, Lake County sued the state,asking a judge to declare that the state is obligated to reimburse the county for law enforcement service, The tribes, whose territory spans the boundary between the U.S. and Canada, wrote that they initially made this request in October 2012 and al, Lake County Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution of intent to withdraw from a law that establishes a unique law enforcement relatio. Mrs. Gonzalez allowed detectives to take the shoe box and to tow the van. I knew that going in, and I knew that because Matthew and I are not private investigators. Citizen P.I. The only law enforcement official to comment was Eric Winburn, the former undersheriff for Big Horn County who resigned in August 2020 and now resides in Idaho. This community has faced hundreds of years of injustice.. She and her husband had brought their yacht there for repairs, but police suspected she may have been trying to flee to Mexico. Its really dense, and its really sensitive.. Byrd was found face down by the foot of their bed. Two years later, he is at the center of another horrifying event. After the nightclub incident, Byrd moved heavily into the buy-here, pay-here car lot business, which he would later leave under the management of his stepdaughter, Ashley, and her husband, James Blue Markham. Making a Murderer (2015-2018) TV-14 | 60 min | Documentary, Crime 8.6 Rate Filmed over a 10-year period, Steven Avery, a DNA exoneree who, while in the midst of exposing corruption in local law enforcement, finds himself the prime suspect in a grisly new crime. 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