Billings case: Monday, July 13 part 2

OKALOOSA GANG OF FOUR
Monday, July 13

At around 2 p.m. Okaloosa Investigator Jeremy Peaden surveys Gary Sumner’s business, 5th Dimension at the 8 and 9 Duval St. in Fort Walton Beach. The area consists of a warehouse with two units inside. He describes it as a “local vehicle customization business.”

He interviews Charles Jacopetti, who is the onsite landlord of the warehouse building. He says Sumner leased it around two and a half years ago for his 5th Dimension business. Sumner was frequently behind on his monthly rent and Sunday, July 12 Jacopetti padlocked the outside of the warehouse and had given Sumner a “Three-day” letter for non-payment of the June 2009 rent.

The landlord says that at first the detailing business seemed to flourish and constantly had traffic in-and-out along with loud music. The traffic had become less and less since the first of 2009.

Jacopetti tells Peaden about meeting a white male in his 30’s and a heavier white female in her 30’s who had approached him in late June 2009. They asked about joining the 5th Dimension lease agreement. They expressed interest in customizing motorcycles and were having a lawyer draft a business agreement with Sumner.

According to Jacopetti, Sumner told Gonzalez that he was behind on his rent. Gonzalez said that he was going to pay the back rent once Gonzalez set up the paperwork with his attorney. A week later Sumner came in with a check from Providence Properties, LLC for the previous month’s rent.

Jacopetti shows the investigator a pink Post-it note – “Patrick Gonzalez 850-255-7003.” That was the male who left him this handwritten note. He says that he had called Gonzalez last week to see he was still interested in the lease because Sumner was late with his payment. Gonzalez said he was no longer interested.

Jacopetti identifies both Patrick Gonzalez and Pam Long from photo line-ups. He later gave the investigator a copy of the rent check. It was dated 6-29-2009 for $862.26 and signed by Pamela Long. Written on the “For” line, “fifth dimensions June rent.”

STALLWORTH ARREST IS NEAR

An arrest warrant is prepared for Donnie Stallworth, Jr. At 8 p.m. Investigator Watts is contacted by Jason Cheatham from the Escambia County Alabama District Attorney’s Office. Stallworth is making arrangements to turn himself into to their jail.

PRESS CONFERENCE: ARREST OF GARY SUMNER

At 8:30 p.m. Sheriff Morgan says Gary Lamont Sumner, who he describes as a day laborer, has been arrested on a murder charge in Okaloosa County after he was pulled over in a traffic stop. The sheriff says Sumner was one of the people seen in a Walmart surveillance video with Patrick and that investigators have placed Sumner at the scene of the killings of Byrd and Melanie Billings.

Three persons of interest, two black males and one white male, are still being sought by authorities. Morgan says that one of the persons of interest’s identity is currently known to investigators and an arrest is expected in the near future.

The reporters press the sheriff for more information on why Bud Billings was targeted.

“Mr. Billings was well-to-do. He was an entrepreneur and he opened his home to the community. You are asking me to speculate on a motive. That could have been one reason”

He compares the killings to the 1959 slayings of a Kansas farm family made famous by Truman Capote in the book “In Cold Blood.” In that case, the killers mistakenly believed the prosperous family kept a safe full of cash at home.

Morgan will not verify if Billings kept much money at his home.

“I think you’ll find this particularly chilling and here’s why––We have a team that enters at the rear of the home and another that enters at the front of the home. It leads me to believe this was a very well-planned and methodical operation.”

STALLWORTH’S MOM TURNS HIM IN
At 10:45 p.m. Watts and Baggett meet Donnie Lee Stallworth, Jr. and his father, mother, Brenda Stallworth at the county jail in Brewton, Alabama. He is advised of his constitutional rights and he requests an attorney. Watts interviews the mother and father.

“My son called me,” says Brenda Stallworth. “He just called me and he was crying.”

Stallworth wouldn’t tell his mother why he was upset. They went to see him.

“He just said something that was on television.”

His parents picked him at the Hurlburt Air Force Base, which is between Fort Walton Beach and Navarre. He is Air Force staff sergeant assigned to the 1st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hurlburt Field. Stallworth wanted his parents to take him to the Sheriff’s office in Brewton. Mrs. Stallworth insists that he hadn’t told her anything about the Billings incident.

THORNTON AND FLORENCE ARRESTED
Sgt. Hoard gets a call from an Okaloosa deputy who says that he was meeting with a person who has knowledge of the incident. Hoard, Nesmith, Lee Tyree and Capt. Bruce Woods rush to Shalimar where they learn of two individuals involved. They get there just after midnight.

Nesmith and Woods interview Rakeem Florence with his mother present. Florence is arrested and booked into Okaloosa County Jail. Tyree and Hoard interview Fredrick Thornton and he is arrested also.

Copyright © 2009 Rick Outzen