PENSACOLA, Fla. – Six men and a 16-year-old boy pleaded not guilty to two charges each of first degree murder in a Pensacola court.
The men could face the death penalty and the boy life in prison in the home-invasion murder and robbery of a a wealthy Panhandle couple known for adopting 13 children with autism, Down Syndrome and other special needs.
A judge on Thursday set a Nov. 9 trial for the men and an Oct. 21 trial for the teenager, but State Attorney Bill Eddins says the complex trial likely won't start for as long as a year.
Byrd and Melanie Billings were shot to death in their sprawling west Escambia County home on July 9. Nine of the couples' children were home when the couple were killed.