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Billings Family Releases Statement

The family of Byrd and Melanie Billings, the couple shot to death last week in Beulah, has issued the following statement:

We would like to start by thanking everyone for their support, especially the good people of Escambia County and the surrounding community. We would also like to thank the investigative agencies involved in this matter.

The family cannot begin to find the words to adequately express the pain and disbelief of these last few days. To know there are people among us capable of this type of violence and with this magnitude of hate and evil in their lives is sickening.

Our Mom and Dad only had love in their lives. Since the day they met, 19 years ago, they knew they were soul mates. They chose a life that many people did not understand.

Together they decided to adopt a child, which turned into the adopting of many children. They had a calling to adopt, and to provide love to children that most did not see as normal. To my Mom and Dad their children are perfect. In their eyes their children had no disabilities and presented no challenges. They saw them as angels that God provided to them and Mom and Dad knew they would love them eternally. Mom and Dad had the ability to provide their children with lives full of fun, joy, patience and love. Though they have 17 children, love was never scarce, never withheld. They loved and cherished each child as much as a person is possibly capable.

My mother always told me some people grow up wanting to be doctors or lawyers or teachers. She wanted to be a mommy. She had patience that is simply undescribable. If you would have had the chance to meet her, you would know the radiance of her spirit. She never met a stranger. Her life long dream was loving her babies and being a voice for them.

Our father is the smartest person I have ever known. He taught through example. He had a passion for life and was absolutely crazy about my Mom. There was not a day that went by that he failed to tell her how much he loved her. Our Mom and Dad spent most of their time together. They shared the daily duties of getting the children ready for school, getting the children off the bus in the afternoon, always preparing and eating dinner as a family.

Instilling values and traditions in their children was very important to them. Those who have met any of the Billings children now how well behaved and well mannered they are. Our parents taught us to love despite differences in people.

Christmas has always been the favorite holiday in the Billings home. Our mom never left anything out. Every year, on Christmas Eve, there was one present opened by each child, and then Christmas morning started about 4:30 a.m.

My mother and father touched many, many lives around the country and we plan to carry on their legacy. We, the children, have experienced a loss that is unimaginable. As a family we will pull together and take each day, one day at a time drawing strength from each other. Our most important concern right now is fulfilling the wishes of my parents. In the event anything ever happened, their wishes were to keep the children together and show the children the love they would have shown them. The family is completely capable of following through with these wishes.

We are coping as a family and request that everyone continue to pray for our strength. We ask that everyone please keep our privacy in mind while we grieve. Again, thank you for all the support. We hope that all people use our parents as an example.

We know that our parents are watching over us now and are reunited with their three angels. Mom and Dad will give us the strength to make it through the hard times, and with their love we hope to make the world a better place, just as they did during their short time on earth.