Three More Arrests In Billings Murders, Including Brewton Resident That Was Air Force Staff Sgt.

July 14, 2009

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(Updated 1:00 p.m.) At least three more people have been arrested in connection with the murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings, including one person in the Air Force.

Donnie Stallworth, Jr., 28, turned himself in at the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center in Brewton about 9:00 Monday night. Stallworth provide a Hurlburt Field address in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. NorthEscambia.com has learned that Stallworth was enlisted as a staff sergeant in the Air Force.

And Escambia County (Ala.) judge will decide this afternoon if and when Stallworth will be returned to Escambia County, Fla.

Stallworth is a 1999 graduate of T.R. Miller High School in Brewton.

Another has been identified asĀ  Frederick Lee Thorton Jr., 19, from Okaloosa County. The third suspect has been identified as Rakeem Florence, 16.

The arrests took place in Okaloosa County and will be announced about noon today by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department. The two arrests will bring the total number of people charged in the case to six.

NorthEscambia.com will post details as soon as they become available.

Comments

23 Responses to “Three More Arrests In Billings Murders, Including Brewton Resident That Was Air Force Staff Sgt.”

  1. LE on July 30th, 2009 10:01 am

    He turned himself in because his name was put all over the news and to Law Enforcement after an accomplice turned on him. Everyone has the oh he was a quiet nice family man… so do all the friends and neighbors of serial killers.. he deserves the electric chair with everyone else involved.

  2. sk on July 24th, 2009 11:00 pm

    First of all, “Stallworth Family Friend”–you are no friend of the Stallworth’s if you are airing what you think is dirty laundry. Keep it to yourself. I’ve heard enough about you that you just need to shut it.
    Donnie is a wonderful person and always will be. He has been a part of my and my family’s life for a long time and I KNOW that when the story finally comes out, we will see that he is not the animal that some claim he is, but the loving family man that we all know him to be.
    I do know and empathize with the children of the other family, and believe that the murderer should be condemned–but also believe in “Innocent until proven guilty”, Don’t give up on him.

  3. Stallworth Family Friend on July 15th, 2009 5:13 pm

    I cannot believe that Donnie was invivoled in this hideous crime,we live next door to them for a year,and my daughter was over at his house and played with his kids.
    The Donnie we knew was such a nice person,a little immature,but nice. I know that his wife had bankrupted them and then had started to get them into debt again,but I would have never had guess that he would do commit a double murder.
    This world is crazy,God bless us all.

  4. Ed Carney on July 15th, 2009 1:45 pm

    OUTSTANDING POLICE WORK-SWIFT-AGGRESSIVE-COOPERATIVE-PROFESSIONAL-THOROUGH! THANK YOU

  5. USAFissued on July 15th, 2009 1:27 pm

    What guilty person turns themselves in? I somewhat personally know Donnie, but more importantly… I know people in his Squadron, and the people he’s worked with for years – whom he befriends outside of work and I can honestly say, nobody thinks he played a major role in this, if he was even there at all. He has a wife, and 5 children at home, he’s a family man, not a cold-blooded killer. He may know these people, but it doesn’t make much sense to me why a man who is more than taken care of in the Air Force, would risk his job stability, and his life.. and that of his childrens’ lives and his marriage, to go and do something as asinine as this.

    You guys are quick to jump down anything you hear, whether a person is guilty or not. Why not wait to hear the facts?

    Also – with 8 children at home, and 4 that witnessed this, why were only the parents shot, and not the children who saw these men and could possibly identify them?

    The whole thing is FISHY.

  6. Tim on July 15th, 2009 9:25 am

    Why didn’t God step in and protect this couple? I am a Christian and asked this in my prayers today. It is an honest question to God…Why did He not step in? Why?

  7. not sure on July 15th, 2009 2:32 am

    Stallworth was always very calm and treated the people around him with respect, please save your judgements until after he is proven guilty.

  8. P on July 14th, 2009 10:58 pm

    What these young men did was a horrible, insensitive act! They will and should get due punishment. We should pray for the childeren left behind without their loving “parents” but we must also pray for the young men that did this! All is NOT lost for them. For those of you that are Christians & have read the Bible, remember that Paul killed Chritians and later went on to write over half of the New Testament. I am in no way trying to”water-down” the brutality of this act, nor am I suggesting that they recieve a light punishment, they are responsible for what they’ve done & must suffer the consequences of their thoughtless, demonic actions, but only God has the final say so. Vengence is mine says the Lord! Pray for everyone involved here! Reach out now to men and women everywhere to help prevent something like this happening again. If we all just sit back and say “what a terrible shame this is” & immediately condemn the guilty parties, without attempting to share the Word of God with them, how much better are we?? Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

  9. Carla S on July 14th, 2009 7:38 pm

    I heard the news today on Donnie and I was so amazed. I could not beleive what I was hearing or seeing. Remebering back, going to T.R. Miller High School with Donnie, he was not the type of person you thought would have done such a hoorific thing to someone. This is not the Donnie I knew 10 years ago. I wonder where he went wrong. I feel for the family that these people, including Donnie, hurt . Donnie needs to know he made his decision, now the GOOD LORD will make his.

  10. Kristi on July 14th, 2009 7:30 pm

    People are Crazy- everyone is capable of doing the worst things, it’s only by the fear of God that you don’t.

  11. phil on July 14th, 2009 6:25 pm

    Yea its a cult alright? Looks like a “crack head” cult. Thats about what I see in common with that motley group.(mug shots look at the their lips) Wish I could see the thumbs also. Along with the walmart purchase it looks as if they all had a debt with the same Cookie Man and desperately wanted to pay up to get more…

  12. Sandman on July 14th, 2009 6:01 pm

    This is getting stranger by the minute.

  13. DK on July 14th, 2009 5:13 pm

    If after the trial these people are found guilty of doing this horific act , I can not say I will be sad if they are given a death sentence. there will always be the “haves’ and the “have nots” greed is a powerful demon and has caused many a bad thing to be done. I truely feel sorry for the families involved. they definately need some prayers.

  14. Kris on July 14th, 2009 4:42 pm

    I went to school with Donnie. He is the last person you would ever think of doing or being involved with people like that. I am sorry for the family that lost their mother and father but the Donnie I knew was no ANIMAL, DEVIL, or CREEP.

  15. Carla on July 14th, 2009 4:26 pm

    Bee Gee, right on, people can laugh and scoff but this is prophesied in the bible that these things will happen in the last days. Satan can take people captive at HIS will that don’t live for God. Sad for the Billings family, also the families of these cold hearted murders who did this. As far as the murders and those involved in this hideous crime, trust me, they will pay in the hereafter at judgement. Life in prison and the death penalty are mild compared to eternity in hell! They do not deserve to live. People please give your lives to God. Look at the Billings. Good honest people. They never thought this was going to happen, innocent decent kind hearted people were just going along in their everyday lives as usual. Billings family find comfort in Psalms 91. God bless you, and you are in our prayers. Maybe these dangerous mean hearted and evil men will be away from their own families and they will be safer. All around them were in danger. I know someone who knew the Gonzales, Jr. They said he was a nice clean cut guy years ago and friendly. They always had a bad feeling around him. A wife beater also. We need to be very aware of who we tell where we live and I guess this will get like New York where very few people are friendly and talk to each other as they go out. Sad isn’t it. Our safe little area we grew up in. Jesus comfort those who are hurting and grieving. It will get easier in time. People are praying for you. Lots of people. God is with you even when you don’t feel like he is! He loves you. He had nothing to do with these murders. It was not his will. Every good and perfect thing comes down from the father above the bible says.

  16. Michael W on July 14th, 2009 3:04 pm

    Some kind of cult? Umm – no .. you can find filth like this in ANY and EVERY town in America! Buy a gun – learn how to use it .. and keep it with you at ALL times!

  17. tinker on July 14th, 2009 2:17 pm

    WHAT IS GOING ON??? This is sad, these people did nothing to deserve what these animals did to them. Cold blooded animals!!! Now what will happen to the children that these wonderful people left behind.

  18. an observer on July 14th, 2009 2:09 pm

    THE MILITARY WILL TAKE CARE OF HIM…PUT HIM IN LEAVENWORTH FOREVER…UNLESS HE GETS THE DEATH PENALTY, WHICH I THINK THEY ALL SHOULD GET. THEY IMPOSED THE DEATH PENALTY ON THIS POOR COUPLE WITH ALL THOSE KIDS TO TAKE CARE OF AND THEY DIDN’T GET A CHOICE. THE CHOICE WAS MADE FOR THEM BY THIS SORRY BUNCH OF CREEPS!!!!!!!!

  19. Beegee on July 14th, 2009 1:53 pm

    I can say this without apology,it is the devil making his last ditch efforts
    to “try” to be as bad as he can get….’cause he knows his days are numbered!!!!
    He will continue to lead people astray while he still can!!!

  20. lee on July 14th, 2009 1:41 pm

    I went to school with Donnie too. I would never have guessed he would have done something like this. It’s a sad day.

  21. Reader on July 14th, 2009 11:29 am

    Thanks for bringing us all the latest news on EVERYTHING!

  22. People Are Crazy! on July 14th, 2009 11:28 am

    Oh my goodness! I know Donnie. I went to High School with him! You would never, ever, ever believe he would be capable of something like this. He was always calm-natured and fun to be around. What is happening in this world?

  23. Sandman on July 14th, 2009 11:27 am

    Is this some kind of a cult?