04 November 2010 :

An Escambia County jury recommended 10-2 the death penalty for Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr., 36, white. Gonzalez was the ringleader of a group of seven who on July 9, 2009, rode to the Billingses' home just before dusk to rob Byrd and Melanie Billings. He shot the couple to death in their bedroom in the presence of 1 of their 9 adopted special-needs children, according to testimony. Gonzalez's co-conspirators testified that the motive for the attack was a safe in the Billings home that he claimed contained $13 million. The intruders, while dressed as ninjas, stole a safe, but it did not contain anything of value. A 2nd safe in the home that they did not find contained $164,000.