Billings murder investigation is about to take an odd twist

[grantcart]

For about a week the Sheriff has made it clear that the whole story would be unusual.

Now he has said they are about to reveal another motive besides robbery.

CNN is now reporting a couple of odd facts:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/20/florida.slain.couple/index.html

1) the Billings supported the martial arts gym that the organizer ran

A man police believe organized the slaying of a Florida couple earlier this month told authorities he knew the victims and received financial support from them for a martial arts studio, according to court documents released Monday

2) the Billings had some kind of whacko outlook on life and tried to bill the state of Florida millions for using their children's names in letters:

Additional documents released Monday from the Florida Department of Children and Families show a bizarre attempt by Byrd Billings to copyright the children's names and request money from the department for their use.

A department attorney, Katie George, told the Pensacola News-Journal that every time the agency sent Billings a letter referencing the children by name, he would reply with an invoice demanding millions in copyright infringement. In one document released by the department, he demands $10 million in silver or federal reserve notes of equal value.

In a sharply worded letter of December 2005, another department attorney, Richard Cserep, wrote to Billings, "you reference a wide variety of law in connection with this claim" for damages. "This includes copyright violations, trademark violations, contract violations, admiralty and maritime law, libel and the Truth in Lending Act. At no time in any of your correspondence have you made a plain demand for damages under a clear and cognizable theory of liability."

A handwritten note on the letter says that no further correspondence was received from Billings after that letter.

[berni_mccoy]

1. Odd doesn't even begin to justify this insanity

Billing Florida for using the kids' names in documents?!? :wtf:

[county worker]

2. It sounds sort of like a militia type.

"financial support from them for a martial arts studio"

"he demands $10 million in silver or federal reserve notes of equal value"

"you reference a wide variety of law in connection with this claim" for damages. "This includes copyright violations, trademark violations, contract violations, admiralty and maritime law, libel and the Truth in Lending Act. At no time in any of your correspondence have you made a plain demand for damages under a clear and cognizable theory of liability."

Sounds to me like a right wing extremist.

[elehhhhna]

3. weird.

although perhaps his copywriting the kid's names was due to the state using them as poster children for foster-care/adoption against the Billing's wishes? That's the only reason I can make up.

[grantcart]

5. I think that the state would have been vigilant in keeping their kids privacy

The billings sat for a big news spread last Christmas that was featured on the local TV news station.

[nashville_brook]

4. maritime law?! were they Scientologists as well?

[csziggy]

6. I thought it was going to be simpler than this - the safe that was taken was full of drugs

But they were drugs for the special needs children, not likely the kind drug users would get a thrill from. In any case, I thought maybe some worker in the house saw the drugs and that they were kept locked up, figured they had to be something valuable and set up the whole deal.

But now it is sounding stranger than that!