Mother of Sixteen Children Murdered in Her Home

Melanie and Byrd Billings

(Pensacola, FL, July 10, 2009) Melanie Billings was exhausted, but that was not an unusual state for her to be in. She and her husband Byrd had sixteen children. They had two each from previous marriages, two of their own, and had adopted twelve more. Many of their adopted children had special needs, and required extra patience and energy from her, but the happiness she gained alongside the weariness always struck the proper balance. This night is what Melanie and Byrd would consider a “quiet night,” as only eight of the kids, ranging from ages 8 to 14, were home. She’d just managed to get all of them to bed and gave out a sigh as she collapsed onto the mattress. Her husband briefly opened his eyes and smiled at her before nodding off again.

The couple slept soundly for some time and didn’t wake until the door to their bedroom burst open. Standing in the doorway was a man dressed entirely in black and another a few feet behind him. They looked not unlike ninjas, with full face masks and appropriate attire. The man yelled at them to get out of bed. Melanie thought his voice sounded familiar, and reached around her mind to identify him. She could not figure out how he had gotten into the house without making noise that they would hear. Byrd was already up and out of the bed with his hands up but reaching slightly forward as he walked towards their attackers. He seemed to be pleading to them for sense. Melanie could hear footsteps elsewhere in the house, in multiple rooms. She wondered if the kids were up, if they were safe. She looked over at the monitor that displayed the cameras in each of the kids’ rooms and noticed black figures looking through them. She quickly corrected her gaze to the men in front of her, hoping they did not notice the surveillance monitor.

The man yelled for Byrd to lay face down on the floor. She watched him do so, and then cried in horror as the man in black lowered his gun and shot Byrd in his head. Melanie tumbled over in agony, clutching her stomach. She heard two more gunshots and looked up to see blood pouring from each of Byrd’s legs. She knew she had to try something, so she began to stand up. The man in black looked at her for a moment, cocked his head, and fired her at her, hitting her in the head and the chest. Ten minutes from when they first entered, the men in black left, with the family safe in hand.

Leonard Gonzales Jr. is believed to be the mastermind of the home invasion that included seven burglars. He was a former soldier and martial arts expert who the Billings had given money to open a martial arts school. They’d also given him the key to their home. The men executed a heist of the family’s safe with military precision, but landed in jail when the cameras set up to help monitor the children led the police right to them. The safe held only some jewelry and medication for the children.