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Billings Murder Featured On Oprah
October 8, 2009
The world was able to look inside the home of Byrd and Melanie Billings Wednesday for the first time since their murder on the Oprah television show.
Ashley Markham, their daughter, provided information about the nine special needs children that she and her husband Blue now call their own.
Markham said when she called the house on July 9 she could not understand why her 10-year old brother Jacob, who suffers from Down’s Syndrome told her that the Billings were laying on the floor.
“She would talk about it to us. ‘If something were to happen, make sure my babies are taken care of. Make sure they’re all kept together’,” Ashley, 27, told Oprah.
And that is what Ashley and Blue are doing, she said, taking care of the children and even sleeping in the bedroom where Byrd and Melanie died.
“It’s just the way it’s supposed to be,” Blue said.
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan also appeared on the show via a Skype Internet conference.
“We have an excellent case,” Morgan said, adding that all eight accused in the case had entered not guilty pleas.
A portion of Oprah’s segment about the Billings family include an appeal for donations to help the family financially take care of the nine special needs children.
For more on the show, visit www.oprah.com.
Pictured top: Ashley and Blue Markham on Wednesday’s Oprah. Pictured below: Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan records his segment on September 24. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photo top courtesy Harpo Productions.
Comments
6 Responses to “Billings Murder Featured On Oprah”
Yes they are doing a very special thing so are lots of other people they are not the only ones who have a hard time taking care of their children. I know a lady who has a hard time taking care of her children4 and two of them have mental problems I know it’s hard on her but she smiles and works very hard to do for them she like others would never ask for anything A trust that is nice of people to feel sorry for some and turn their head on others.
Another request for donations to the trust fund, no surprise there. Anyone who takes on the responsibility of adopting all those kids should have done some estate planning, including a valid will and maintaining life insurance policies. Neither is in place, leaving the kids in legal limbo until the estate goes through probate.
Special needs children get SSI, more than the “just $300″ that Ashley claimed. In Florida, the state supplements that. Adopted special needs kids also get a stipend. So that’s 3 checks per child per month. SSI alone for a disabled child was around $400 back in 1992. The kids are most likely eligible for other programs like Medicaid, food stamps, and WIC.
There is one trust fund listed via Oprah’s site, another soliciting donations to a Compass Bank account on WKRG, and yet another on FOX10 asking for donations to be sent to a legal firm. Really, do Ashley & Blue need 3 trust funds on top of all the federal & state assistance the kids get?
I think Ashley and Blue are two amazing people for doing what they are. God bless them.
Robyn, they had 12 children altogether, but only 9 children were living in the home before the murders.
where are the rest of the chilkdren? originally there were 12…
also, why are they asking for money? where did it all go? shouldn’t the money they had, still be available to the rest of the family?
sounds fishy!
I agree with everything you said, observer. It takes very special people to step in and take over such overwhelming responsibility.
Did you hear Sheriff Morgan tell Oprah that there’s still a couple of people they’re looking into besides the nine they have already? Perhaps I’m behind in the news because I don’t remember hearing that before.
I think that Ashley and her husband Blue are doing a VERY SPECIAL thing by taking care of these children . She had told her Mother and Father in the past when they had gone on trips because her Mother had asked her if anything had ever happened to them not to let the children be split up and now those two very special people have changed their lives to take care of those very special children . You just do not see people like this very often anymore .