Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. After seeing the nationally publicized case, Pensacola native, Jimmie Lee Staley started looking into the case and found some questionable details that had been left out. It's what they must rely on, to catch the killers and bring them to justice. Hypothermia is the go-to answer to the dead Indian problem in Montana, Brien says in the documentary. Leonard Sr also told the police that he was the getaway driver while the others broke into the house. Shacaiah Blue Harding, who was last seen in the Billings area in 2018 and is assumed to be a victim of sex trafficking, is also featured. 1. The two directors also reached out to Ivy and Ivan MacDonald, a brother-sister team of filmmakers and enrolled members of the Blackfeet Tribe, who joined as producers of the series. 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. She says she asks herself every day why someone would want to kill her parents. In fact, all eight that were involved in the robbery/murder were tried and convicted, so why am I looking further into this case? Weve been historically excluded from that space, and theres been misinformation and miseducation. One of the children got to a neighbors house, who, in turn, called 911. On July 9, 2009, Bud and Melanie were killed by a murderous group of thugs. And if we are going to tell the story, we want to do so through the families and the community and make sure that they were in charge of letting us know what they wanted to share with us.. Television is one of the ways in which non-Indigenous communities learn about Indigenous communities, he said. She was 16. 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. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we? As soon as we walked in that door, we knew.. Two of the women were never found. Filmmakers Razelle Benally and Matthew Galkin spent more than two years working on the documentary. The plan, he claimed, was never about murder. The individuals behind the crime took the wrong one, according to investigators. They carried rifles and wore masks, dressed in black clothes and black boots. Theyd both been shot multiple times. Detectives questioned the Billings children, and Justinprovided a possible lead. The Billings used them to monitor their children. Working in Big Horn County, I dont believe MMIW is real, he added. This led the authorities to his son, Leonard Gonzalez Jr. Leonard Jr taught self-defense classes and had some previous contact with the Billingses. Here is the synopsis: Mansion Murder Cam In Pensacola Florida, two loving parents are brutally gunned down in their own home. An investigation revealed that a safe was missing from the house. A bill brought by Rep. Tyson Running Wolf on behalf of the State-Tribal Relations Committee aims to bolster these community-led search efforts. Examining the footage, it was clear that multiple suspects were involved in the burglary and it was exceptionally well planned. Investigators learned that Bud Billings was a successful businessman who ran a finance company. 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. Through interviews with law enforcement, state medical examiners, tribal leaders and victims families, the documentary tells the story of several missing or murdered Indigenous women in Montana. Marshals arrest Lockwood shooting suspect outside Billings Godfathers Pizza, Police rule midtown Billings death a homicide; 2nd homicide in 2 months in neighborhood, UPDATE: Montana State Prison escapee caught, Murder in the Magic City: Rising homicide rate may be new normal, Billings bar with history of violence sued by family of homicide victim, 'Murder in Big Horn' MMIW documentary to premiere at Sundance, True-crime TV fuels 'missing white woman syndrome.' 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. top of page. To be able to meet the manifest destiny of the American dream, they needed to rid the lands of the first people who were living there. What followedquicklybecameone of the most infamous unsolved serial murder cases in American history. Fortunately, none of the children were harmed. Jerry Douglas is a motivational speaker, fitness guru, and writer. But she never expected , Last year, scholarships were up to $10,000 for returning undergraduate applicants, up to $12,500 for graduate and professional students and up. It turned out that there was more to the Billings family than the all-American history that their prior media image implied. Bud Billings, 66, and his wife, Melanie, 43, were found shot to death on July 9, 2009. Please subscribe to keep reading. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. HeavyRunner, 20, was last seen on the Blackfeet Reservation in 2017. Byrd was a successful entrepreneur who made his money in the used car business and explored other opportunities. This is the story of the victims, their families, the investigation,and nearly three decades of unanswered questions. Officials and advocates say the cases are unique and dont appear to be related. A movie about the crimes and trial of Kermit Gosnell, an American doctor and abortion provider who was convicted of killing three fetuses and the involuntary manslaughter of a woman who died during a procedure. In exchange for a plea deal, she revealed the whereabouts of the items. : Emails From Death Row chronicles the complex case that had multiple people involved in the burglary plan, with everyone eventually facing justice. At UM, Bird will work with tribal communities as well as prospective and current Native students to increase retention and provide support. However, it only contained some medicines, documents, and some jewelry. Ivan and Ivy MacDonald are sibling Blackfeet filmmakers. Patrick Gonzalez was allowed to leave. Theres very little thats more gut-wrenching than injustice, yet it would surprise many how much of it happens under our noses. about this case, please contact us, or call 1-508 . Its what they must rely on, to catch the killers and bring them to justice. Benally, who is Oglala Lakota and Din, understands intimately the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people and has experienced the disappearance and death of family members and close friends. To learn more about the Billings Murder case, check out Jimmie Lee Staleys blog and Facebook page. He said that Cab Tice, whod had business dealings with Bud, had double-crossed his father. This community has faced hundreds of years of injustice.. He had taken a loan from Byrd to set up a martial arts studio. The bodies of entrepreneur Byrd Bud Billings, 66, and his wife, Melinda, 43, were found in the master bedroom of the sprawling estate. 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. Both of them had two biological children, each from their previous relationships but adopted 12 children, most of them with special needs. It was the home of Leonard Gonzalez, whose wife spoke with investigators. Melanie, Byrds wife, was twenty years younger than him. Patrick Gonzalez was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and armed home invasion robbery. An event on the University of Montana campus honors the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. At the time of filming, Brien was the general manager and editor of Big Horn County News. The Billings had a total of 16 children, some of whom were from previous marriages and some who had been adopted by the couple. Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty: With Michael Virzi, Ben Heineman. - YouTube 0:00 / 9:22 Why Were the Billings Couple Murdered? One of the vehicles used in the burglary was later traced to Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr. The Karate Killers airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery. Something doesnt, No , the murder happened in Ohio . He recruited the others and provided them with the guns, clothing, and boots. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. On the day of the murders, Leonard and Patrick Gonzalez, along with Florence, Sumner, and Thornton, pulled up to the Billings house in a red minivan and broke in. The series will premiere at Sundance, the largest independent film festival in the U.S., on Jan. 22. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. His tenure was brief with the sheriffs office just eight months and his first major case was Selena Not Afraids disappearance. The intruders were in and out of the house in less than five minutes. While DNA tests conducted on the murder weapon and the shell casings didnt conclusively match Leonard Jr, Frederick identified him as the shooter. The suspects were caught on the familys surveillance system. This is the story of. While Native Americans comprise about 6.7% of Montanas population, they account for, on average, 26% of the states active missing persons cases. Five people jumped out, Det. The cops only witnessone that never lies: surveillance cameras. Patrick collected overdue bills for her. 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. He was sentenced to death and is currently on death row. We are not going to have answers, Benally said. Now, not only are people learning about Indigenous people, but Indigenous people are behind the camera telling these stories.. 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. He writes about lifestyle, self-motivation, fitness, and leadership. The Billings family was well-known in the Pensacola, Florida, area. On July 9, 2009 in Pensacola, Florida, a group of masked men entered Byrd and Melanie's vast home at dusk and murdered the couple in what was thought to be a robbery case. Also, 9mm shell casings were recovered from the scene. There was a problem saving your notification. that Leonard Gonzalez had revealed to authorities. Is anyone feeling that the mom has strong narcissistic vibes, I worked on both cases. We found that a series would allow us to go in-depth, as opposed to a singular film, said director Razelle Benally. After years of closing the case of the murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings, spectators thought that justice had been served. By now, most Americans are familiar with the horrific murder of a Pensacola, Florida, couple by the name of Byrd and Melanie Billings. Jake was mute and could only help the police by using sign language; however, he later proved instrumental in solving the crime. 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. The Billings had sixteen security cameras throughout the home. If you, or someone you know, has relevant information. Another safe, a small one in the master bedroom for personal keepsakes and documents, was missing. Melanie was also on the floor, face-up, and was shot in the head and chest. Its an incredibly sad thing to share. 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. Yet the platform appealed to Benally as a way to bring the stories to a larger audience. Ivan and Ivy produced Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible, an award-winning documentary about MMIW and resilience, and they have two other documentaries in post-production stages one on bison revitalization efforts on the Blackfeet Reservation and one on the MMIW crisis in the Blackfeet community. The Mansion Murders of Byrd and Melanie Billings BY Tricia Romano Tweet Follow @crimelibrary Share Comments A Connection to the Family He'd incorporated a boat company and a different car company in the 1980s. You have permission to edit this article. The caller reported that a married couple had been shot in their home and that their children were still in the house. I knew that going in, and I knew that because Matthew and I are not private investigators. The filmmakers and the NIWRC are creating a collection of resources for Indigenous families, including mental health resources, spearheaded by Ivan MacDonald. 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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