tonight on "nightline," gunned down. a wealthy husband and wife who opened their home to a dozen children, many disabled, fatally shot in their bedroom. a deadly attack by a large team of assailants caught on tape. so why did it happen? we've got breaking news from florida. what are the words you need to sell your house? meet the property poet. a woman whose magic touch may add tens of thousands to your asking price. just by giving it the big sell. plus, supreme test. sonia sotomayor's historic confirmation hearing begins. how is was day one of the toughest job interview on earth? captions paid for by abc, inc.

good evening, everyone. i'm terry moran. and we're going to begin tonight with that double murder mystery that's left a family reeling, a community stunned and in many ways investigators baffled. it has been four days now since a wealthy couple known for remarkable acts of charity was found fatally shot inside their home in the florida panhandle. nine of their 16 children, 12 of whom they adopted, were asleep at the time. well, late tonight, the local sheriff announced a fourth arrest in this case, which he says can involve as many as eight suspects and while robbery remains a motive, it's not the only one the police are considering. steve osunsami is in pensacola, florida. steve? >> terry, tonight investigators here have made yet another arrest in this case. they have arrested a man they

believe they can tie to the scene of the crime, a person who they believe helped storm this couple's home. they have yet to explain all the events leading up to the killing. thursday night, the police arrive at the sprawling home of byrd and melanie billings to find a grisly murder. the couple shot several times in their bedroom. just hours before the murders, a school bus driver had dropped some of the children off after school. >> i let the kids off at 2:45 and mr. and ms. billings got them off the bus. they always dressed the kids really nice and sent them to school and she made sure they had nice things. >> the billings were known for their generosity in town and their love in kids. they were here at a benefit to raise awareness for kids with down syndrome. bud bills described how he and

his wife live for their children's small successes. >> we don't expect miracles from the children so we're happy. we have a child here, she's almost 2 1/2 and just started walking. we think it's ecstatic, you know? we're great -- it's great because she walked. not that she was 2 1/2 and walked. >> bud, whose real name is byrd had owned a used car business. he was a successful local businessman. they were. >> they were the most fabulous people. they did nothing for themselves but everything for everyone else. there was not a harmful bone in either one of their body. >> they made many donations to the school for special needs students where their children attended classes. >> bud and melanie were generous and they gave so much of themselves to their children. and they also gave to different organizations. i know they made significant donations to our schools at various times. >> the murders have left this town in a state of shock.

and the family reeling. >> there's not words to describe how great of people that they really are. for someone to have done something like this it's just -- it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. >> by the weekend investigators had started to piece together what happened, but it was slow coming. >> at this time, we have no motive established. again, we have multiple individuals that forced entry into this home. again, we would be speculating, you know, home invasions that can lead to murder can be anything from, you know, drugs to robbery. again we would be speculating at this time. so we do not have a motive for the murder. >> but the police had one important clue to go on -- a video. >> we are currently enhancing a computer -- excuse me, a videotaped image of a red van. we're enhancing that image because right now there's some confusion as to whether or not it would be a dodge or ford van. >> police saw clearly a red van and at least two individuals on the front lawn.

>> it did appear to be a work van, if you will. meaning it was pristine -- it wasn't pristine in color or buffed up. >> a major break in the case. the van was found. acting on a tip, they found it stashed behind a shed in pensacola and police report they're speaking to persons of interest connected to the van and possibly connected to the murders. >> we currently now are interviewing two persons of interest that again the investigation at this point has been tied to the van in question. >> but still, police were not explaining a motive. >> our crime scene technicians are currently working the van as we speak. we have not gotten a report back specifically on the -- on any items from the van. you know, it will be a standard crime scene search. we are working off the premise that it was a home invasion. we have yet to develop a reason for specifically why the billings have been targeted.

>> meanwhile, the children were beginning to cope with the loss of their parents. >> matthew told me that he didn't have a mom and dad anymore because his mom and dad had got shot. and i told him i said, well, there -- they'll always be your mom and dad, but they won't be here right now. >> authorities announced their first arrest sunday. it was the red van that helped. it led them to 56-year-old leonard gonzalez, sr. police believe he was the get away driver and say he was trying to paint the van a different color so it wouldn't be identified. late that evening they arrested gonzalez's friend, 41-year-old wane coldiron. he had shaved his head and mustache to change his appearance. police charged him with murder. they also arrested gonzalez's son, 35-year-old leonard gonzalez, jr. they have charged him with murder as well. police believe both men stormed into the home with face masks and guns drawn. gonzalez jr. is seen here in video from march of 2007,

teaching martial arts to young students. tonight, authorities here released yet another video, showing the billings had been attacked by a crew that entered the home through two entrances. police have arrested one of the two african-american men in this surveillance photo taken outside this florida wal-mart. the man in the center with the child is gonzalez, jr., who is already in custody and charged with murder. police expect to announce yet another arrest tomorrow. >> at this time, because, again, the complexity of the case i think we'll have many, many answers and many, many more questions than answers even at the conclusion of this case. >> it appears they're looking for one or two more persons of interest. the children are safe, unharmed and with family. the family plans to continue their care. funeral services for their parents are scheduled for friday. terry? >> such a sad story there. thanks to steve osunsami for that. when we come back, let's turn the page.

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well, you know, i know, everybody knows the real estate market's been hard hit in this down economy. and so if you're a homeowner trying to unload a property you need every advantage you can find of. enter valerie whose words can help to turn an ordinary property into a once in a lifetime gem. it's not purple prose. it's property poetry. as vicki mabry reports for our series "realty check". >> enjoy living in your own private paradise, set amid a gore use oasis of lush greenery. flowering trees and a secluded wooded stream running right

outside your door. >> if you're salivating because that sounds like your dream home, then valerie has done your her job. >> you will enjoy splashing on cool places. >> does it read like a romance novel? >> it kind of does. we poured it on a bit for this house, but it's worth it. >> she's been called the property poet. because what she writes are mouth watering descriptions of real estate. >> a spectacular eat-in chef's kitchen with two islands and a separate family sitting area with a gas fireplace and garden-likeambience. >> just like in fashion, it has trends, features to be highlighted or down played. what are some of the buzz words, the catch phrases in real estate? >> well, you know, it's always been state of the art. impeccable, immaculate, meticulously designed. >> but anyone can drop a few key

words and brokers say valerie has turned it into an art form. >> what valerie adds to it is her descriptions have an incredibly strong narrative flow starting with exactly what's really appealing about the property. and just takes the customer through the whole thing as if the customer is there. >> i use valerie because valerie can do a much better job in talking about the house and having it tell a story. >> she got her start writing marketing copy for corporations until one of new york's biggest real estate firms hired her to write agent bios. the rest is poetry. >> okay, so i have to ask you, do you basically live and breathe real estate? >> yes, i do. >> do you really? because it says so in your biography. >> when you read it, what did you think? >> this great. >> this the me i never knew. >> this is me i never knew. >> with home sales lagging, and prices dropping and what few buyers there are exercising

their right to be picky, brokers are keen to find something that makes their listing stand out from the rest. valerie they say writes not only magical prose, but also gives their listings an edge. >> it pointed out different things that i -- that i didn't know to highlight. she was able to pop in some words so that when people do google searches that they pop up and these are not -- you know, she's an expert in doing that. >> as easily as the words flow when waxing about home, she describes herself rather mundanely like this. >> i'm a general copy writ-- copyrighter. >> she works from the cozy home office in sought after plain field, new jersey. >> is this the ideal job, writing from home in your paj a pajamas? >> i love. >>i at $250 a pop, she knocks

out bios and home descriptions at the rate of one every half hour or hour. what's the most personal or outrageous things you had to write? >> i have written one or two match.com letters and i had written a letter to the irs who had an issue. >> are there things that you don't feel -- i don't do this? >> i don't do resumes. a lot of people ask me if i do. >> valerie typically knows brokers as voices over the phone. most property she sees only in pictures. >> hello. >> hi. >> nice to see you. >> wow. >> she's worked for years with brett miles and reed price, but only met them when we asked to see only of the properties she's written copy for. like this million dollar chelsea apartment. >> basically, the way we do things is i send her an e-mail, need copy. in capitals. because of course we're on a race to get the copy written about the apartment as it's

listed. >> why can't you write it yourself? >> i'm not a professional copyrighter. i think valerie has a -- it's an art form to be able to take bullet points and turn them into more or less of a small story about an apartment. >> at least she can see what she's writing about here. >> i think it's actually closer to 2,400 square feet. >> broker lawrence tests her imagination with this loft in lower manhattan. right now it's got an asking price of $3.7 million. >> how would you describe this? >> enjoy from your master suite, all the contemporary luxuries of brand new windows highlighted by old-world 19th century shutters. you know, sort of -- >> exactly. >> a synchronicity of old and new. i love it. >> i love that you have to be careful of not using words that

are out? >> there are things that we have to be careful of saying. can't say family home. desirable, walk to schools, because obviously disabled people can't walk. you don't want to mention synagogue, churches, things like that. you have to consider everything, i think. >> very p.c. you have to be very politically correct. >> you do. you do. >> and in valerie's hands, that unfinished tribeca loft is awaiting your customization, it is unique, sprawling, an opportunity for the discerning buyer to meld rich history with contemporary refinements. is there one that you had to say there are no words? >> there have been times when i have been severely challenged. severely challenged. in many cases if that's really nothing much to say about the home t agent doesn't hire me. >> some places just defy description. for others, there's the property poet. this is vicki mabry for

"nightline." >> so the pen is also apparently mightier than a fresh coat of paint. thanks to vicki mabry for that. when we come back, sonia t sotomay sotomayor's confirmation hearing is underway, so what can she expect in the days to come? approximately two out of three people ) being treated for depression still have depression symptoms. (man) i'm on an antidepressant, but i'm still not where i want to be with my symptoms. (announcer) if your antidepressant alone isn't enough, talk to your doctor. one option your doctor may consider is adding abilify. abilify is fda-approved to treat depression in adults when added to an antidepressant. learn more about abilify. call your doctor if your depression worsens or if you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens and young adults. elderly dementia patients taking abilify have an increased risk of death or stroke.

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let's go to capitol hill now where senate confirmation hearings began for judge sonia sotomayor. she is president obama's first

supreme court nominee and if confirmed she would be the first latino to serve on the highest court. and while conventional wisdom suggests she will survive the process, she still has to get grilled up there. john donvan has this report for us. >> finally this afternoon, sonia sotomayor got to tell her side of the story. >> i grew up in modest circumstances in a bronx housing project. my father, a factor -- factory worker passed away when i was 9 years old. >> the room was attentive and respectful as she spoke for less than eight minutes but in the end she had to be exhausted. go back to this morning and note this, from the time see seated herself, her injured aim -- ankle still elevated so as not to swell, 30,000 words were spoken from here, of which she the nominee contributed just 124.

>> sitting behind me is my brother, juan sotomayor. next to him is my mom, selena sotomayor. >> and these mere pleasanties, because today's session was pure endurance test, sitting still first for other people's speeches about her. >> your nomination is reflection of who we are as a country. and it represents an american success story that we all can be proud of. >> i reviewed your record and have concerns about your judicial philosophy. for example, in one speech you doubted that a judge could ever be the -- ever be truly impartial. >> you have achieved respect and admiration for what has been a brilliant legal and judicial career. >> many of judge sotomayor's public statements suggest that she may indeed allow or even embrace decision making on her biases.

>> a lot of them. she graduates summa cum laude, phi beta kappa. >> all the democrats. >> graduating cum laude and -- >> who could have saved everybody some time. >> where she graduated summa cum laude. >> if they had edited their speeches for repetition, but they didn't. >> plus seven outnumbered republicans, and he sized up the situation pretty near perfectly. >> unless you have a complete meltdown, you're going to get confirmed. and i don't think you will. >> it's not that lindsey graham was dismissing all of this as some ceremonial wind bag event, he was not. it's true that sotomayor's confirmation seems certain, but it will matter long after the politicians of the moment have moved on. but it was too the politicians of the moment that sotomayor was

responding when she finally got the mic. >> throughout my 17 years on the bench i have witnessed the human consequences of my decisions. those decisions have not been made to serve the interest of any one litigant, but always to serve the larger interests of impartial justice. >> impartial. a word she chose because the republicans, alabama's jeff sessions in his speech, for example, are challenging her past statements in which she spoke of bringing her own empathy to decision making. >> such an approach to judging means that the umpire calling the game is not neutral. but instead, feels empowered to favor one team over another. call it empathy, call it prejudice or call it sympathy, but whatever it is is it's not lost. >> it's why sotomayor felt come pelled to state -- >> in each case i have heard, i have applied the law to the facts at hand. the process of judging is enhanced when the arguments and

concerns of the parties to the litigation are understood and acknowledged. >> thank you -- >> the dividing lines were clear and the real questions start tomorrow. i'm john donvan for "nightline" in washington. >> so as the week goes on, we'll see if and when the gloves come off. thanks to john for that. when we come back, from bailout to billion dollar profits. it's the subject of tonight's "closing argument."