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Melanie was also on the floor, face-up, and was shot in the head and chest. The Billings family was well-known in the Pensacola, Florida, area. These are not true-crime stories to us. While the robbery appeared to be well planned, the police believed that one of the accomplices failed to turn off the security cameras, which later became primary evidence in the case. Making a Murderer is an American true crime documentary that had taken the Internet by storm upon its release. The cop's only witness one that never lies surveillance cameras. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The crime scene photos . With Michael Beach, Janine Turner, Dean Cain, Nick Searcy. Murder in Big Horn, a three-part documentary set on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations, will premiere at the internationally acclai, Two documentaries, "Black and Missing" and "Murdered and Missing in Montana," break the true-crime mold and instead highlight cases of Black a. Murders at Moselle. Patrick Gonzalez was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and armed home invasion robbery. The ongoing murder investigation has led to eight arrests, but Ashley is still searching for answers. In the aftermath of Mallory's death, Alex Murdaugh's damage control raises alarm. . Its been alleged that Bud might have upset some members of the Pensacola car dealership business community who had found themselves wrapped up with the Mexican mafia. PENSACOLA, Fla. (CBS/AP) The ringleader who led a group of armed men dressed as ninjas in the robbery and murders of Byrd and Melanie Billings, a Florida couple known for adopting children with. We are filmmakers, and we can only do so much.. So, the news of their murders as part of a burglary shocked everyone. Billings murder documentary on Investigation Discovery channel tonight @ 9 pm Rick Outzen March 17, 2015 The Investigation Discovery series "See No Evil" covers the July 9, 2009 murders of Bud and Melanie Billings. "They were good people," she says. Byrd Billings, 66, was shot multiple times in the head and legs. 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. He writes about lifestyle, self-motivation, fitness, and leadership. The first-ever documentary film series about one of America's most infamous unsolved serial murder cases. The Karate Killers on ID is investigating the truly shocking murders of husband and wife, Byrd "Bud" and Melanie Billings, who were butchered during a brutal home invasion at their home in Pensacola, Florida. There was a problem saving your notification. We put this team together so we wouldnt be performing parachute journalism or extractive storytelling, Galkin said. Bear Dont Walk remembers watching, listening and drawing . He was sentenced to death and is currently on death row. His tenure was brief with the sheriffs office just eight months and his first major case was Selena Not Afraids disappearance. All were charged with first-degree murder apart from Wiggins, who was charged with being an accessory. Was the money the motive for the double homicide? We found that a series would allow us to go in-depth, as opposed to a singular film, said director Razelle Benally. of Corrections. On July 9, 2009, a frantic 911 call went out in Beulah, Florida. 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.. The young women are remembered through the recollections of family members and friends, who detail their shared barriers to justice and the lack of response from law enforcement officials. In exchange for a plea deal, she revealed the whereabouts of the items. He owned a pressure-cleaning business, and police believed he and Coldiron had done work at the home. What followedquicklybecameone of the most infamous unsolved serial murder cases in American history. Leonard Gonzalez first shot Bud in the legs and then dragged him into the main bedroom where he and his wife, Melanie, were both shot multiple times. They carried rifles and wore masks, dressed in black clothes and black boots. American Prairie distributed 10 bison to the Chippewa Cree Tribe on the Rocky Boy Reservation and 35 to the Kalispel Tribe in Washington. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. In Pensacola Florida, two loving parents are brutally gunned down in their own home. The National Indian Womens Resource Center is online at niwrc.org. 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. I have definitely experienced small-town law enforcement entities that are just unwilling to engage with the media for various reasons, Galkin said. I knew that going in, and I knew that because Matthew and I are not private investigators. He was shot thrice in the head. According to autopsy reports, Melanie Billings, 43, was shot twice in her chest, and in the face and head. All the historical issues that emanated from colonization hundreds of years ago, that was the butterfly effect of how we got to where we are today.. Missoula Commissioner announces involvement in project that got county approval, Next chapter for Sleepy Inn motel begins this week, Former NFL star Chad Johnson says he saved money by living inside Cincinnati Bengals stadium for 2 years, Attorneys offer more claims to Title IX suit against UM, MCPS school board selects 1 applicant for superintendent interview, Kalispell man charged for death threats to US Sen. 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It certainly added an element to the series that I think is quite important for people to see and to hear.. As deputies searched the house, the couples nine adopted special needs children were found cowering in terror and hiding in closets. If you, or someone you know,has relevant information. The elder Gonzalez may have been on the Billings property for his business. It's very difficult to review this case, as there, The FBi has been murdering people for years since their, Clearly its hard for some people to understand that although, What is taking so long? 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. Filmmakers Razelle Benally and Matthew Galkin spent more than two years working on the documentary. He initially said the van belonged to his son, Patrick, and hadnt been running for a while. Showtime documentary focuses on Montana cases of missing, murdered Indigenous girls. Family members criticized how law enforcement handled the investigation of her death. The plan, he claimed, was never about murder. . This is the story of, The Highway Murders. Weeks later, police were still trying to complete their understanding of the genesis of the scheme and connection of the suspects to the Billings family. Were there shadier financial transactions happening in the shadows? So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we. Buddy Nesmith of Escambia Countys Sheriffs Office told producers. The couple dedicated their lives to taking care of these kids. In Pensacola Florida, two loving parents are brutally gunned down in their own home. People gather in front of the Big Horn County Courthouse to demand a response to the MMIW crisis Wednesday, May 5, 2021 in Hardin. The Highway Murders: Documentary about murdered and missing women in New Bedford, MA, in the 1980's. At some point in the third hour, it needed to transcend being a true-crime documentary, Galkin said. Authorities had five of the seven suspects in custody and as detectives prepared to question them, the remaining two suspects surfaced:Rakeem Florence and Frederick Thornton. Byrd was a successful entrepreneur who made his money in the used car business and explored other opportunities. Leonard Gonzalez had been in financial difficulty at the time. Three days after the murder, a man was arrested after leads noted that his van matched the description of the getaway vehicle in the Billings murder. : Emails From Death Row chronicles the complex case that had multiple people involved in the burglary plan, with everyone eventually facing justice. The next, they were innocent victims of a methodical murder plot. The gang stole a safe and a briefcase from the home leading to prosecutors declaring the motive as greed. I was confident in my ability to create a large commercial doc series, but the content was foreign to me, and I wanted it to be authentic, Galkin said. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. You have permission to edit this article. Officers responded to a car crash shortly before midnight and discovered the driver had. One of the vehicles used in the burglary was later traced to Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr. 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. It's what they must rely on, to catch the killers and bring them to justice. A. s they asked her some questions inside the house, they observed a shoe box for black combat boots. It's what they must rely on, to catch the killers and bring them to justice. Two new docs aim to change that, Montana film, actor among Indigenous works making unprecedented splash at Sundance, Selena Not Afraid's death ruled accidental, We are in need: Bill would help missing person searches, Bill would extend and expand Missing Indigenous Persons Task Force, 'Somehow our normal': Several Indigenous people missing in southeast Montana. Like Benally, she was hesitant to talk with Galkin, not wanting to become involved with a project that wasnt going to ethically explore the underlying issues contributing to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people. M. Ayasha Momberg, 6, holds a photo of her cousin Ashley Heavyrunner Loring, 20, who disappeared from the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in north-central Montana in the summer of 2017. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Investigators rounded up the suspected members of the deadly robbery crew, although Patrick Gonzalez turned himself in. Jerry Douglas is a motivational speaker, fitness guru, and writer. After Selena Not Afraids case made national headlines, Showtimes producers approached Galkin with a general pitch. By now, most Americans are familiar with the horrific murder of a Pensacola, Florida, couple by the name of Byrd and Melanie Billings. 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. We had to really balance the series, so when Native families or people watch this, they are not feeling like they are being exploited.. It was very important to us to not go down the road to overload people with information and statistics.. It didnt take this long. This community has faced hundreds of years of injustice.. Though he and Melanie had been married 18 years, Byrd "Bud" Billings had been married two times before. Native Americans comprise 6.7% of the states population, yet they account for, on average, 26% of Montanas missing persons population. Investigators learned that Bud Billings was a successful businessman who ran a finance company. the money the motive for the double homicide? Investigators tracked down Leonard Gonzalez and brought him in for questioning. reviewed 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. Now, not only are people learning about Indigenous people, but Indigenous people are behind the camera telling these stories.. He was concerned about being arrested in front of his children, according to investigators. There were nine children living at the house who were special needs kids. I couldnt do anything by myself, because I was a girl, and I was a Native girl.. This is the story of the victims, their families, the investigation,and nearly three decades of unanswered questions. Follow the links to read about more shocking crimes profiled on ID. Melanie, Byrds wife, was twenty years younger than him. The center is a Native-led nonprofit dedicated to ending violence against Native women and children, and Simpson is featured prominently in the series. 'Murder in Big Horn' MMIW documentary to premiere at Sundance. And most recently, one of the witnesses came forward, saying his testimony was false. She was 16. Patrick Gonzalez was then questioned and denied everything. I dont think the issue is real.. Hypothermia is the go-to answer to the dead Indian problem in Montana, Brien says in the documentary. He was with three other men identified as, Wayne Coldiron, Donnie Stallworth, and Gary Sumner, names. "We found that a. TM & 2015 Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. A Time Warner Company. The Billings had a total of 16 children, some of whom were from previous marriages and some who had been adopted by the couple. The bodies of entrepreneur Byrd Bud Billings, 66, and his wife, Melinda, 43, were found in the master bedroom of the sprawling estate. But its an important thing that we are going through as Native communities, and the world at large needs to know, Brien said. An investigation revealed that a safe was missing from the house. Benally joined the project after being contacted by fellow director Matthew Galkin, who admittedly came to the project with no awareness of the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people. This is the most dangerous place for Native women in the country, explained Luella Brien in the series opening. Ivan and Ivy MacDonald are sibling Blackfeet filmmakers. Some speculated that the Billings adopted children so that they could receive money from the government. The ringleader Gonzalez also ran a failing karate school, which was another reason why the moniker stuck. "Death is a smell youll never forget, Sr. Deputy Robert Guy, of Escambia County Sheriffs Office, told Floribama Murders, airing Saturdays at 9/8c on Oxygen. The alleged victims of the highflying, some would say sociopathic politician with a list of victims that spans the long career of him and Hillary his 'wife' Survivors reflect on the shocking boat crash that killed vibrant teenager Mallory Beach - and the demons that haunted troubled driver Paul Murdaugh. This is the story of, The Highway Murders . suspected murder of his 67-year-old stepdaughter Karen Navarra, single serial killer known as the Chicago Strangler. It was the home of Leonard Gonzalez, whose wife spoke with investigators. On the evening of July 9, 2009, a brash break-in at the Billings residence led to a horrific conclusion. For more information on the series, visit sho.com/murder-in-big-horn. The MacDonald siblings have been working on documentary storytelling in the Indigenous community for years and are currently producing a documentary, When They Were Here, centered on families whose loved ones went missing or were found dead in the Blackfeet community in northwestern Montana. In fact, all eight that were involved in the robbery/murder were tried and convicted, so why am I looking further into this case? Stars: Steven Avery, Dolores Avery, Laura Nirider, Allan Avery Votes: 97,693 2. 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. RYAN BERRY, Billings Gazette "Murder in Big Horn," a three-part documentary set on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations, will premiere at the internationally acclaimed Sundance Film. 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