Final Moments on Oxygen: Who killed Melanie and Byrd Billings?

Byrd Billings and Melanie Billings were found shot to death in their Pensacola, Florida, home on July 9, 2009. The couple were married in 1993 and lived with their three biological children and nine adoptive children. The Billings were well-off and wished to share their lives and wealth with children who came with special needs.

However, the beloved pair met their ill fate on the night of July 9 as a group of men stormed into their residence, allegedly looking to rob the house, and shot the parents in front of one of their children.

Donnie Stallworth, Wayne Coldiron, Frederick Thornton, Rakeem Florence, Gary Sumner, and Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr. were among the eight detained, while Patrick Gonzalez Jr., the mastermind of the plan, was sentenced to death on October 28, 2010.

The Final Moments Season 2 Episode 9 gives us a peek into the Melanie and Byrd Billings murder case, as the synopsis reads:

"Bud and Melanie Billings lovingly adopt a houseful of special-needs kids; when a home robbery ends in Bud and Melanie's murders, police look for clues in the couple's home security camera system and find a video that is both horrific and heartbreaking."

The House of Horror episode will re-air on December 9, 2023, at 10 p.m. EST on Oxygen.

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Eight arrested in the double homicide of Melanie and Byrd Billings

What happened to Melanie and Byrd Billings?

The 43-year-old Melanie and 66-year-old Byrd Billings were shot to death at their 9717 Mobile Highway, Pensacola residence around 7 p.m. The family of eleven was retiring for the night when a red van pulled up to their front door and a group of men dressed like ninjas ambushed them in a robbery.

Byrd Billings was shot in each leg and zip-tied. The couple were then dragged into their bedroom and shot to death, per Oxygen. The nine adoptive children of the Billings were left unharmed.

However, the intruders left with a safe containing legal documents, some jewelry, and prescriptions from the bedroom. They had left behind the safe, which contained $160,000 in cash, legal documents, and vintage jewelry, according to WKRG.

Who were the eight arrested in connection with the double homicide?

The Escambia County Sheriff's Office got hold of eight suspects, all of whom have been convicted. The main accused, Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr., was sentenced to life in prison and two death penalties. His father, Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr., was the getaway driver for the gang and the first person the investigators got hold of. He admitted to playing a part in the robbery, which Gonzalez Jr. had persuaded him into.

A still of Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr. (Image via Pensacola News Journal)

A search warrant carried out for Gonzalez Jr.'s residence yielded paint cans and a pair of Wal-Mart boots with prints matching those on the Billings' door. The investigators used Wal-Mart security footage to locate and identify the others involved.

Donnie Stallworth and Wayne Coldiron were convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and home invasion robbery with a firearm. Meanwhile, Frederick Thornton, Rakeem Florence, Gary Sumner, and Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr. entered into a plea agreement and testified against the others as well.

A still of Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr. (Image via Murderpedia)

Eventually, Pamela Long-Wiggins came under the radar of the investigation and was subsequently charged with two counts of accessory to murder. She allegedly helped Gonzalez Jr. hide the safe in her backyard.

Both Leonard Gonzalez Sr. and Pamela Long-Wiggins passed away in prison in 2015.