Christmas Carnage. The story of Ronald Gene Simmons, Sr.
The holiday season of 1987 in Russellville, Arkansas, should have been a time of joy and family togetherness. Instead, it became the setting for one of the most shocking family massacres in U.S. history, orchestrated by Harold Gene Simmons Sr. Over the course of several days, Simmons murdered 16 people, 14 of whom were his own family members, in a calculated spree that left a small town reeling and the nation horrified.
On December 22, 1987, Simmons set his murderous plan into motion. He began by killing his wife, Rebecca, and eldest son, Gene Jr., in their home. He then fatally strangled Gene Jr.'s daughter, his three-year-old granddaughter, Barbara before disposing their bodies in a cesspit he had his children dig earlier on the property.Then he waited for four of his children to come home from school. When they arrived, one by one, he strangled and drowned them in a rain barrel outside their home.
When the other family members arrived for the Christmas holiday on December 26th, Simmons systematically executed them along with their spouses and children, using a variety of methods including strangulation and shooting. Simmons ensured that no one was left alive to escape or call for help.
After annihilating his family, Simmons did not stop. On December 28, he drove to Russellville, Arkansas and targeted former coworkers and acquaintances he believed had wronged him. He killed two and injured four others in a cold-blooded rampage before calmly surrendering to police.
The sheer brutality of Simmons' crimes stunned the nation. In total, he had murdered 16 people, making it one of the deadliest familial massacres in U.S. history. Simmons showed no remorse during his trial and even requested to waive his appeals. He was convicted and sentenced to death, and on June 25, 1990, he was executed by lethal injection at the Arkansas State Penitentiary.
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Sources used for this podcast:
Websites
Newspapers.com. (n.d.). Ronald Gene Simmons [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.newspapers.com/image/186493440/?match=1&terms=%20Ronald%20Gene%20Simmons
Arkansas Online. (2023, November 6). Trailer: The Devil of Pope County: America’s Worst Family Massacre. Retrieved from https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/nov/06/trailer-i-the-devil-of-pope-county-americas-worst-family-massacre/
Murderpedia. (n.d.). Ronald Gene Simmons. Retrieved from https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s1/simmons-ronald-gene.htm
Encyclopedia of Arkansas. (n.d.). Ronald Gene Simmons (1931–1987). Retrieved from https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/ronald-gene-simmons-3731/
Arkansas Online. (2023, December 11). The Devil of Pope County: Episode 5: A Neutralizing Maneuver. Retrieved from https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/dec/11/the-devil-of-pope-county-episode-5-a-neutralizing-maneuver/
AY Magazine. (n.d.). Murder Mystery: Lambs to the Slaughter (Part 1). Retrieved from https://aymag.com/murder-mystery-lambs-slaughter-part-1/
Find a Grave. (n.d.). Kathleen Michele Kendrick Memorial. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37538703/kathleen_michele-kendrick
Find a Grave. (n.d.). Ronald Gene Simmons Memorial. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193317499/ronald_gene-simmons
Find a Grave. (n.d.). William Henry Simmons Memorial. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42109219/william_henry_simmons
Find a Grave. (n.d.). Renata Lynne Simmons Memorial. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75456927/renata_lynne_simmons
4029 TV. (n.d.). Ronald Gene Simmons Murders Arkansas. Retrieved from https://www.4029tv.com/article/ronald-gene-simmons-murders-arkansas/42308596
Newspapers.com. (n.d.). Ronald Gene Simmons [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.newspapers.com/image/169762948/?match=1&terms=Ronald%20Gene%20Simmons%20
Films
Coen, J., & Coen, E. (Directors). (1987). Raising Arizona [Film]. 20th Century Studios.
Landis, J. (Director). (1980). The Blues Brothers [Film]. Universal Pictures.
Hanks, T. (Director). (1996). That Thing You Do [Film]. 20th Century Studios.
Howard, R. (Director). (2000). How the Grinch Stole Christmas [Film]. Universal Pictures.
De Palma, B. (Director). (2006). The Black Dahlia [Film]. Universal Pictures (United States), Metropolitan Filmexport (France), Warner Bros. Pictures (Germany).
Penelope Spheeris (Director). (1994). The Little Rascals [Film]. Universal Pictures, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, New World Pictures.
Fleming, V. (Director). (1939). The Wizard of Oz [Film]. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Bros.
Photo Credits:
Arkansas Online. (2023, December 11). The Devil of Pope County: Episode 5: A Neutralizing Maneuver. Retrieved from https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/dec/11/the-devil-of-pope-county-episode-5-a-neutralizing-maneuver/
AY Magazine. (n.d.). Murder Mystery: Lambs to the Slaughter (Part 1). Retrieved from https://aymag.com/murder-mystery-lambs-slaughter-part-1/
Find a Grave. (n.d.). Kathleen Michele Kendrick Memorial. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37538703/kathleen_michele-kendrick
Find a Grave. (n.d.). Ronald Gene Simmons Memorial. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193317499/ronald_gene-simmons
Find a Grave. (n.d.). William Henry Simmons Memorial. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42109219/william_henry_simmons
Find a Grave. (n.d.). Renata Lynne Simmons Memorial. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75456927/renata_lynne_simmons
Hot Springs Funeral Home. (n.d.). Russell Taylor Tribute Wall. Retrieved from https://www.hotspringsfh.com/obituaries/Russell-Taylor-11/#!/TributeWall
4029 TV. (n.d.). Ronald Gene Simmons Murders Arkansas. Retrieved from https://www.4029tv.com/article/ronald-gene-simmons-murders-arkansas/42308596
KUAF. (2022, December 19). Governor Bill Clinton, August 31, 1991. Retrieved from https://www.kuaf.com/arts-and-culture/2022-12-19/governor-bill-clinton-august-31-1991
Arkansas Business. (n.d.). KTHV’s Jansen Announces Retirement. Retrieved from https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/kthvs-jansen-announces-retirement/
Humphrey Funeral Home. (n.d.). Joyce Butts Obituary. Retrieved from https://humphreyfuneral.com/obituaries/joyce-butts-2023
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