Two men were arrested last night on murder charges in connection with a home invasion Thursday night that ended in the death of a Florida couple who were parents of a dozen adopted children, reports the Pensacola News Journal. The case, in nearby Beulah, Fl., has attracted national media attention. A third man was charged with driving the alleged assailants to and from the home of Byrd and Melanie Billings.
The murder suspects’ van was recorded by home surveillance tape as it traveled down the long driveway to the Billingses’ large and isolated home. Byrd Billings, 66, and his 43-year-old wife were shot in the couple’s bedroom. Eight children, some of whom have Down syndrome or are otherwise disabled, were elsewhere in the house and were not physically harmed. Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan compared the case to a movie script and called it “a humdinger.”