Ronald Gene Simmons Murdered 14 Members of His Own Family and Two Other People in a Christmas Massacre.

 

Ronald Gene Simmons Murdered 16 People, Including 14 Members of His Own Family

In December 1987, Ronald Gene Simmons began one of the deadliest family massacres in American history.

It started inside his Arkansas home.

On December 22, Simmons shot and killed his wife, Rebecca, and his oldest son, Ronald Jr.

Then he murdered his 3-year-old granddaughter and his four younger children, ages 8 to 17.

He concealed their bodies and waited.

Four days later, his remaining adult children arrived with their spouses and grandchildren for Christmas.

Simmons murdered them too.

His daughters. His sons-in-law. His grandchildren.

Then, on December 28, he drove into Russellville and began hunting people from outside his family. He killed a young receptionist at a law office, killed a former coworker, and wounded four other people before surrendering to police.

By the end of the massacre, 16 people were dead. Fourteen were members of his own family.

Simmons had a documented history of controlling and abusive behavior. Authorities had also investigated allegations that he had sexually abused his eldest daughter and fathered a child with her.

He was convicted and sentenced to death.

Unlike most death-row prisoners, Simmons refused to pursue appeals and fought efforts by others to delay his execution.

On June 25, 1990, Arkansas executed him by lethal injection.

Sixteen people died because of him.

But the number almost makes it too easy to lose sight of what that means.

Children came home for Christmas. Grandchildren came to see their family. Fourteen of them were murdered by the man who was supposed to fucking love them.