billings murders documentary

At the time of filming, Brien was the general manager and editor of Big Horn County News. If you, or someone you know,has relevant information. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Jerry Douglas is a motivational speaker, fitness guru, and writer. Theyd both been shot multiple times. The three-part series explores the unsolved deaths of Henny Scott, Kaysera Stops Pretty Places and Selena Not Afraid and the contributing factors to the countys disproportionately high rate of such cases. The investigators were aided by the numerous surveillance cameras that were dotted throughout the Billings home. Get information about the Billings children's special needs trust. Detectives learned that when the van left the Billings estate they drove to Santa Rosa County, where they dropped it off at an antique mall. 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. The gang stole a safe and a briefcase from the home leading to prosecutors declaring the motive as greed. Florence and Thornton ultimately agreed to testify against their co-conspirators, and Leonard Gonzalez was soon identified as the ringleader and the main gunman. Byrd and Melanie Billings lived in Beulah, Florida, in a sprawling mansion with several children they had adopted. Wealthy couple Byrd and Melanie Billings, who had adopted 16 dpecial needs children, were killedin their home during a robbery/home invasion. In Pensacola Florida, two loving parents are brutally gunned down in their own home. She was 16. 1. Authorities concluded she died of exposure. She and her husband had brought their yacht there for repairs, but police suspected she may have been trying to flee to Mexico. Anthony Aiello of San Jose, California, was 90 years old when the police of Santa Clara County arrested him for the suspected murder of his 67-year-old stepdaughter Karen Navarra. 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. The next, they were innocent victims of a methodical murder plot. Two years later, he is at the center of another horrifying event. A. s they asked her some questions inside the house, they observed a shoe box for black combat boots. This led the authorities to his son, Leonard Gonzalez Jr. Leonard Jr taught self-defense classes and had some previous contact with the Billingses. The Billings had a total of 16 children, some of whom were from previous marriages and some who . . However, these allegations have not been proved. The footage showed two vehicles pulling up at the house in the evening, with five suspects entering from the front and the back doors. 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' Ivy and I have always understood that the ways in which non-Indigenous people learn about Indigenous people is through media, Ivan MacDonald said. As police began looking at the Billings family history, they began to wonder if they were looking at a contract killing. 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. "They were good people," she says. Theyd both been shot multiple times. He'd incorporated a boat company and a different car company in the 1980s. Two of the women were never found. From a young age, I was taught to never go anywhere alone, Benally said. The man arrested was Leonard Lenny Gonzalez Sr., who later shared that the car belonged to his son Leonard Patrick Jr. After being apprehended, the state attorney declared that Leonard Sr. had admitted to the crime. Mrs. Gonzalez allowed detectives to take the shoe box and to tow the van. Investigation Discoverys Citizen P.I. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. For more information, visit festival.sundance.org. In Pensacola Florida, two loving parents are brutally gunned down in their own home. Family members criticized how law enforcement handled the investigation of her death. Melanie was also on the floor, face-up, and was shot in the head and chest. 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. When you are Native and you grow up in a community, you just know how to talk to folks, especially elders and older women, Benally said. 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. Please subscribe to keep reading. Filmmakers Razelle Benally and Matthew Galkin spent more than two years working on the documentary. Ivan and Ivy MacDonald are sibling Blackfeet filmmakers. Theres very little thats more gut-wrenching than injustice, yet it would surprise many how much of it happens under our noses. As deputies searched the house, the couples nine adopted special needs children were found cowering in terror and hiding in closets. Melanie was around 25 years old when she met Byrd and the two married in 1993, just four months after Byrds divorce from his second wife. That is something we are trying to be aware of.. The National Indian Womens Resource Center is online at niwrc.org. HeavyRunner, 20, was last seen on the Blackfeet Reservation in 2017. Melanie, Byrds wife, was twenty years younger than him. This is greater than myself, and I felt spiritually competent and confident enough to ensure that this would be done in a good way, especially in regard to family, Benally said. There was a problem saving your notification. All were charged with first-degree murder apart from Wiggins, who was charged with being an accessory. If you, or someone you know, has relevant information. 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. The series, "Murder in Big Horn," debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January and will be available for streaming on Showtime Feb. 3, broken into three hour-long episodes. Before running a used-car dealership in a run-down part of town, Byrd had been a strip club owner. So, the news of their murders as part of a burglary shocked everyone. top of page. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. A bill brought by Rep. Tyson Running Wolf on behalf of the State-Tribal Relations Committee aims to bolster these community-led search efforts. 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. But eventually, heagreed 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.. about this case, please contact us, or call 1-508 . Others have speculated that the murders may have been a hit. Authorities moved right away to find the six people connected to the murderer, including five people who . Frederick and Rakeem took plea deals and agreed to testify against Leonard Jr. At Leonard Jrs trial in late 2010, the prosecution stated that he was the mastermind behind the plan. Two Teenagers Come Forward in Byrd and Melanie Billings Case, Abraham Shakespeare's Co-Worker Sued Him Over Winning Lottery Ticket, Dorice Dee Dee Moore Slips Shocking Information to Reporter, "Death is a smell youll never forget, Sr. Deputy Robert Guy, of Escambia County Sheriffs Office, told. After Bud and Melinda Billings were murdered, investigators discovered multiple people were connected to the crime. 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. On the evening of July 9, 2009, a brash break-in at the Billings residence led to a horrific conclusion. and nearly three decades of unanswered questions. After years of closing the case of the murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings, spectators thought that justice had been served. Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer: Directed by Nick Searcy. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. One of the children got to a neighbors house, who, in turn, called 911. Keeping the community informed is important. By highlighting family narratives, the documentary shares the story of missing and murdered Indigenous people through the voices of Native people who have lived through such traumas for generations. Meanwhile. The Billings used them to monitor their children. We found that a series would allow us to go in-depth, as opposed to a singular film, said director Razelle Benally. Netflix launched its marketing campaign for this seven-part documentary series as if 'The Keepers' was your typical true crime murder mystery - but all was not as it seemed. You have permission to edit this article. This is the most dangerous place for Native women in the country, explained Luella Brien in the series opening. . Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. They carried rifles and wore masks, dressed in black clothes and black boots. Leonard Gonzalez had been in financial difficulty at the time. The cops only witnessone that never lies: surveillance cameras. None of them were harmed in the incident. As they asked her some questions inside the house, they observed a shoe box for black combat boots. One of the rooms that wasn't covered by camera - the master bedroom. 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. I knew that going in, and I knew that because Matthew and I are not private investigators. Leonard Gonzalez told sheriffs that he was with six other men in the van, including Patrick. The first-ever documentary film series about one of America's most infamous unsolved serial murder cases. With all these details brought to light, and with Patrick still fighting a death sentence and Lenny now gone after passing away behind bars due to cancer, Jimmie Lee Staley continues to seek for the truth behind the Billings murder case. Patrick would get the death penalty after a three-day trial. 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. OPRAH IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF HARPO, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2023 HARPO PRODUCTIONS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Filmmakers Razelle Benally and Matthew Galkin spent more than two years working on the documentary. By Chuck Baldwin. of Corrections. Directors Ian Clark Ben Mole Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The grants, which range from $12,000 to $14,000 each, were awarded through the Montana Indian Equity Fund Small Business Grant. Officers responded to a car crash shortly before midnight and discovered the driver had. So much of it is these generations of trauma that we havent had the opportunity to heal from, Simpson says in the series. Its really dense, and its really sensitive.. The video also showed Bud Billings being shot as one of his children watched. During the series, she discusses the unsolved case of her aunt Beverly Diane Brien, found dead in 1977 at the Big Horn County Fairgrounds. 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. 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. 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. But its an important thing that we are going through as Native communities, and the world at large needs to know, Brien said. These are not true-crime stories to us. The Billings family was well-known in the Pensacola, Florida, area. For one, the getaway van that had linked Patrick with the murder case had multiple problems, including a busted second gear and reverse gear. We knew right from the beginning we did not want this to be newsy or information-driven, Galkin said. that Leonard Gonzalez had revealed to authorities. How do you give back to a community and support communities beyond collecting their stories? MacDonald asked. 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. According to autopsy reports, Melanie Billings, 43, was shot twice in her chest, and in the face and head. 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. However, it only contained some medicines, documents, and some jewelry. Investigators rounded up the suspected members of the deadly robbery crew, although Patrick Gonzalez turned himself in. Ivan and Ivy MacDonald, sibling Blackfeet filmmakers, helped produce the series. TM & 2015 Turner Entertainment Networks, Inc. A Time Warner Company. Buddy Nesmith of Escambia Countys Sheriffs Office told producers. In 1988, eleven women vanished from the streets of New Bedford, Massachusetts. So, lets find out more about this case then, shall we. I was still stunned, given how many families are involved in these cases and how much media attention these cases have started to get.. In the end, everyone involved was either convicted or pled guilty and was sentenced appropriately. Making a Murderer is an American true crime documentary that had taken the Internet by storm upon its release. With Michael Beach, Janine Turner, Dean Cain, Nick Searcy. Ashley and Blue now live in her parents' home and sleep in the same room where they were gunned down. Mansion Murder Cam 43 m IMDb RATING 7.0 /10 34 YOUR RATING Rate Documentary Crime In Pensacola Florida, two loving parents are brutally gunned down in their own home. Authorities said the crime was carried out with military precision, abcnews.go.com reported. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. As deputies searched the house, the couples nine adopted special needs children were found cowering in terror and hiding in closets. One of the most important parts is the supplements they take. Bear Dont Walk remembers watching, listening and drawing . To learn more about the Billings Murder case, check out Jimmie Lee Staleys blog and Facebook page. Detectives questioned the Billings children, and Justin. Investigators tracked down Leonard Gonzalez and brought him in for questioning. Two of the women were never found. The individuals behind the crime took the wrong one, according to investigators. Thornton told detectives essentially the same story. Such exploitation is familiar to Benally, who has observed non-Native filmmakers extracting stories from her community the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota for decades. The Mansion Murders of Byrd and Melanie Billings BY Tricia Romano Tweet Follow @crimelibrary Share Comments A Connection to the Family But theres a reason that you are out there. Working in Big Horn County, I dont believe MMIW is real, he added. The series, Murder in Big Horn, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January and will be available for streaming on Showtime Feb. 3, broken into three hour-long episodes. July 17, 2009. Also, 9mm shell casings were recovered from the scene. Telling the communitys stories is important, Brien said. Was the money the motive for the double homicide? Murder in Big Horn is directed by Razelle Benally, Oglala Lakota/Din, and Matthew Galkin and produced by the MacDonald siblings and Benally. The Fort Belknap Indian Community Council announced a tribal police officer would be allowed to return to his regular duties after he shot and. All perpetrators, even those who cooperated, received lengthy sentences. Historic low temps are possible on Thursday. I think the series does a really good job of explaining all the components that come together that have created this situation.. He was with three other men identified as, Wayne Coldiron, Donnie Stallworth, and Gary Sumner, names. Credit:Showtime. A nation is not defeated until the heart of its women are on the ground, Simpson said in the series, sharing a Cheyenne proverb. He was with three other men identified as Wayne Coldiron, Donnie Stallworth, and Gary Sumner, names that Leonard Gonzalez had revealed to authorities. Detectives questioned the Billings children, and Justinprovided a possible lead. 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. Now, their tragic deaths haunt the community and the children they left behind. She gives context and a voice to the generational traumas experienced in Native communities. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. the money the motive for the double homicide? We internalize that and see it play out in higher rates of domestic violence in our communities these cycles of abuse., Brien, in the series, describes raising her daughter based on situational awareness and keeping her safe., It makes up who we are, Brien said. It was the home of Leonard Gonzalez, whose wife spoke with investigators. 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. 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. This is the story of, The Highway Murders . The murders of Bud and Melanie Billings occurred on or about July 9, 2009, in Pensacola, Florida, United States. This case hits home with me, because they lived in my hometown of Pensacola. On July 9, 2009 in Pensacola, Florida, a group of masked men entered Byrd and Melanies vast home at dusk and murdered the couple in what was thought to be a robbery case. In the aftermath of Mallory's death, Alex Murdaugh's damage control raises alarm. 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