TRUE CRIME
Sweet Tea Murders: Reliving the Billings Case on Its Anniversary
Police historian Michael Earl Simmons joins Rick’s Blog Live to talk about his new true-crime storytelling series — and the home invasion that made Pensacola the center of the news universe.
July 9 marks the anniversary of the murders of Bud and Melanie Billings, a home invasion in Beulah that became a national story for almost six weeks and helped launch the career of Sheriff David Morgan. Rick Outzen’s coverage of the case was even profiled by the New York Times.
This month, police historian and author Michael Earl Simmons joined Rick’s Blog Live to preview his new event series, Sweet Tea Murders, and to revisit what made the Billings case so unforgettable.
From Police History to “Sweet Tea”
Simmons got his start researching the history of the Pensacola Police Department after being recruited by Norman Chapman. That research turned into a series of books — and eventually, a desire to tell the stories a different way.
“I wanted it to be southern, and instead of saying southern stories, I said sweet tea.”
The focus isn’t the gore — it’s the people. Simmons said he steers away from sensationalism in favor of telling the story of the victims themselves.
“I don’t care about the sensationalism… I want to explain the story of the people behind it.”
What to Expect at the Event
- Held at the Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center, across from Seville Quarter
- Tickets available at sweetteamurders.com
- Each guest receives a mason jar of sweet tea with a custom label, made by Simmons’ wife
- Runs about an hour and a half, from 6 to 8 p.m., with storytelling followed by Q&A and socializing
- Simmons also leads walking tours of downtown true-crime history
Remembering the Billings Case
The Billings murders shocked Pensacola for several reasons. The couple had recently been featured in a News Journal holiday spread about the many special needs children they had adopted. Then came the home invasion.
A beat-up red van pulled up to the house. Men kicked in the front and back doors and were gone in under ten minutes with a small safe — leaving the couple dead and a house full of children behind.
The story broke nationally in part because of timing. CNN happened to be in Pensacola that weekend covering the Blue Angels.
“If you had CNN in your home town where you were, they were gonna pick it up. And once they started to pick it up, everybody came.”
The Investigation
Bold detective work cracked the case fast. Investigators got a call shortly after the press conference from someone who had sold the red van to the mother of suspect Patrick Gonzalez. That tip led them to a trailer, and eventually to a shoebox that helped seal the case.
Simmons credited the department’s relationship-building skills as much as the physical evidence.
“They could talk, and they could elicit information from these guys — it wasn’t like television.”
Where to Find Sweet Tea Murders
Simmons’ next Sweet Tea Murders event is later this month at the Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center. He also teaches at the George Stone law enforcement academy and continues to lead downtown walking tours covering Pensacola’s true-crime history.
Tickets and details: sweetteamurders.com
Audio Version