8th Bust Made in Murder of Fla. Pair; Cartel Link Surfaces

Eighth arrest in slaying of Byrd and Melanie Billings
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 16, 2009 8:00 AM CDT
8th Bust Made in Murder of Fla. Pair; Cartel Link Surfaces
This Thursday July 9, 2009 image made from a video surveillance camera and released by the Escambia County Sheriff's Office shows a man heading toward the Billings' home.   (AP Photo/Escambia County Sheriff's Office)

An eighth arrest was made yesterday in the killing of a Florida couple with 16 kids, the Pensacola News Journal reports. Pamela Long Wiggins, 47, has been charged as an accessory to the crime. She has been linked to two other suspects—she rents an apartment to the man described as the "organizer" of the military-style assault—but is not believed to have been at the crime scene, ABC notes. Some of the suspects have cited ties to Mexican drug gangs; the FBI and DEA are now involved.

“We believe that Ms Long has significant and substantial information that we need to conclude this case,” police said, noting that "the complexity of this case is staggering—staggering.” The sheriff called the killing of Byrd and Melanie Billings a “perfectly executed murder” which involved planning and practice. The key motive is believed to have been robbery. Another local may still face arrest.
(More murder stories.)

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