2 more arrested in Florida couple's slaying; total of 6 in custody

Police: Seven in custody in Florida couple's slaying

PENSACOLA, Florida (CNN) -- Seven people are in custody in connection with the shooting deaths of a Gulf Coast couple known for adopting special-needs children, Escambia County, Florida, Sheriff David Morgan said Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Okaloosa County sheriff's spokeswoman Michele Nicholson said the department had arrested two people in Okaloosa County. Both suspects face murder charges and were booked early Tuesday morning, she said.

Nicholson would not confirm their names, but the county's corrections Web site identifies one as Frederick Lee Thorton Jr.

A total of six arrests have been made in last week's deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings.

Three people were in custody in connection with the Billingses' deaths Monday afternoon, and Morgan told reporters a total of six to eight people are thought to be involved in the crime.

Gary Lamont Sumner, 30, was arrested Monday night. Morgan said Sumner was pulled over in an Okaloosa County traffic stop on Sunday and arrested after authorities discovered he matched a description of a person sought in Escambia County. He faces a murder charge, Morgan said.

Wayne Coldiron, 41; Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr., 35; and Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr., 56, were arrested over the weekend. Authorities said Coldiron and the younger Gonzalez face charges of murder, robbery and residential home invasion. The elder Gonzalez faces charges of evidence tampering for allegedly trying to disguise a vehicle spotted at the home.

Police have called the slayings "a very well-planned and methodical operation."

Authorities have released two surveillance tapes taken from the front and rear of the Billingses' home. Each shows a vehicle pulling up to the property and five people dressed in black and wearing masks entering the home through two entrances, including a utility door left unlocked, something Morgan said is not uncommon in the community. Authorities believe drivers remained in both of the cars.

Investigators believe one motive in the deaths was robbery, but, "we believe there are other motives," Morgan said. He would not say what, if anything, was taken from the home.

Melanie Billings' biological daughter, Ashley Markham, told reporters the couple initially had 17 children. Byrd and Melanie Billings each had two biological children; the rest were adopted. Three have died over the years, she said. The couple had no biological children together.

Morgan, however, said the couple had a total of 16 children, with two who have died and others who have grown older and no longer live in the home.

Nine of the couple's children were home during the incident, Morgan said, and police believe three of them saw the intruders. One managed to flee the home and seek help at a neighbor's house, the sheriff said.

Coldiron and the younger Gonzalez were being held on $1 million bond, according to records posted on the sheriff's Web site. The senior Gonzalez was being held on $250,000 bond. One of those three is believed to be the mastermind behind the crime, Morgan said, but would not say which one.

Although the Billingses were well known in the community, the sheriff said authorities are still trying to unravel why they were targeted. Both of the Billingses were shot multiple times, he said, but he would not release further details on their deaths.

Markham said earlier the family does not know any of the first three suspects. She said the children "are coping very well" and are being cared for.

"They haven't asked too many questions," she said, noting that several have disabilities. While the investigation continues, the family is keeping the children's whereabouts a secret.

The Billingses lived in Beulah, west of Pensacola, near the Alabama state line.