Russellville, Arkansas — The holiday season of 1987 turned into an unimaginable nightmare when Ronald Gene Simmons Sr. committed one of the deadliest killing sprees in U.S. history, claiming the lives of 16 people, including 14 family members. This shocking series of events continues to haunt the community and remains a grim chapter in America’s history of violence.
Simmons, a former military serviceman with over two decades of service in the Navy and Air Force, embarked on his lethal rampage beginning on December 22. As the Christmas spirit filled homes across the nation, Simmons turned his into a house of horrors. Authorities later described him as the perpetrator of the deadliest familicide in U.S. history, methodically executing his wife, children, and grandchildren.
The chilling events unfolded in three distinct phases, starting with the brutal slaying of his wife, Becky, and their eldest son, Gene. Using a .22-caliber pistol, Simmons shot both victims before beating them to death. The horror escalated as he strangled his three-year-old granddaughter, leaving her body alongside the others in a pit he had coerced his children to dig two months prior, all under the guise of needing a new outhouse.
In a calculated move, Simmons awaited the arrival of four more of his children from school for the holiday break. Loretta, Eddy, Marianne, and Becky were all killed, the youngest just eight years old. Each child met a similar fate; he used similar methods of strangulation before disposing of their bodies in the same pit.
On December 26, Simmons’ massacre continued when several relatives visiting for Christmas became his victims. He shot his son Billy and daughter-in-law Renata, subsequently strangling their toddler son, Trae. The killing spree escalated when he targeted his daughter Sheila, who he had reportedly abused, along with her family. This left a total of 16 individuals dead by the end of his heinous acts.
After the murders of his immediate family, Simmons returned to a semblance of normalcy. He even drove to a local store to pick up Christmas gifts he had ordered for his slain family members, followed by a visit to a nearby bar. These chilling moments illustrated his complete lack of remorse.
The spree ended on December 28 when Simmons ventured into Russellville, where he murdered Kathy Cribbins Kendrick, a former co-worker. His assaults did not stop there; he continued killing at various locations, including an oil company and a convenience store.
Simmons eventually surrendered to law enforcement without resistance and handed over his weapon. Following a thorough investigation, he was tried and convicted and became the first individual in Arkansas to be executed by lethal injection in 1990.
The events surrounding Simmons remain a haunting reminder of the capacity for violence that can lurk beneath the surface of everyday life, particularly during what is meant to be a joyous time of year. The community is still grappling with the impacts of that fateful December, and the legacy of his actions continues to provoke discussions about familial violence and mental health awareness.