Hugh Wiggins Mexican Mafia: Patrick Gonzales Byrd Bud Billings Mexican Mafia: Gonzalez Offered $20,000 for Hit

Hugh Wiggins knew that Byrd "Bud" and Melanie Billings were to be murdered. He now has immunity, and says that Patrick Gonzalez, Jr. was offered $20,000 to kill the Billings and take all the bounty he could collect from the home.

Hugh Wiggins (front right) with Pamela Wiggins

Hugh Wiggins was right in the middle of the murders, along with his wife or girlfriend, Pamela Long Malden Wiggins, although he was working offshore when the murders happened. He is one more voice claiming that Bud Billings laundered money, and one more voice alluding to the Mexican Mafia:

Wiggins said Byrd Billings, a used-car dealer, was a target because he laundered money — a charge authorities have not substantiated."Mr. Billings, not to speak ill of the dead, as it were, was washing money for people," Wiggins said....

 Somewhere in the background was the Mexican mafia, said Wiggins, professing to be afraid of the shadowy group.

Hugh Wiggins was working off-shore when the Billings were shot to death with nine special needs children in the house at the time - one child was actually in the Billings' bedroom when they died. Wiggins mocked the way the killers conducted the killings, but he does not say the murders were a "robbery gone bad" as authorities first speculated.

They keep saying this was well planned, well organized. I laughed," he said. "These guys are a bunch of rocket scientists? Come on."

 According to the Pensacola News Journal, a video shows two investigators, one playing the "good cop" and one the "bad cop"  in a long and tedious interview with Hugh Wiggins and his attorney. Wiggins needed reminding that his immunity deal was "contingent on you being honest...you're supposed to come clean."

Wiggins says that Patrick Gonzalez looked up him, and saw Wiggins as a mentor. He told Wiggins "you're the man." Gonzalez tried to get Wiggins to participate at a higher level than he already had. What do you say about someone who knows a mother and father will be murdered and does nothing about it?

Gonzalez "mistakenly" thought Wiggins was an "enforcer." Wiggins had a large stash of guns and Gonzalez was impressed. Wiggins seems to have encouraged that view.

Gonzalez would tell Wiggins, "You're the guy. You're the hammer."

Wiggins' wife, Pamela Long Malden Wiggins is in jail on two charges of accessory to murder. It is now clear that she knew the hit was coming. She let Gonzalez, with whom she was very chummy, borrow her van, use it in the murders, and she buried the small safe taken from the Billings' home in her backyard under a pile of bricks. Hugh Wiggins led authorities to the safe.

Pamela married Wiggins in December 2008. Patrick Gonzalez, Jr. and his wife Tabatha, were witnesses and signed the marriage document. Pamela was legally married to Jimmy Malden at the time. She has also been arrested on a charge of bigamy.

Read stories from friends of Hugh Wiggins here.

Related and background:

Henry Cab Tice Mexican Mafia: Henry Cab Tice Byrd Bud Billings Contract Murders 

Byrd Billings, Melanie Billings Murdered: Parents of 16 Children

Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Stabs Inmate

Hugh Wiggins Immunity in Byrd Melanie Billings Murders.

Hugh Wiggins is Pamela Long Wiggins Husband: Hugh Wiggins is Patrick Poff Gonzalez Friend?

Henry Cab Tice is Byrd Billings Arrested Debtor: Tice Billings Mexican Mafia?

Sheriff Morgan, Patrick Gonzalez Contract Murders: Local Business Rivals Implicated?