Pod Insights Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén Darker Than Fiction: Crimehub About this episode It’s Takeover Month! Throughout December we will be highlighting the best of the true crime community, with a new episode every week from creators we love. We’ll be back next month with brand new episodes and a brand new host!
Crimehub is the place to go when you can’t get over a case, and you need every single detail. Their storytelling style guides you through the story as if you were there. If you’d like to stay up all night, listen to this episode about the deadliest act of familicide in U. S. history.
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Transcript 0:00 Speaker 00 Do you ever stumble across facts from history that feel like we shouldn't know them? Like they're just too dark to even be real? That is what today's episode feels like. Welcome back to our favorite true crime episodes of the year. This whole month, we've been giving up our feed to some of the best storytellers in true crime, talking about cases that stuck with us long after listening to them. This week, we're featuring an episode from Crime Hub, a show that delivers the kind of chilling, atmospheric storytelling we know you love. The case is the deadliest act of family side in US history, carried out by Ronald Simmons in Arkansas in 1987.
0:41 Speaker 00 It's a horrifying story of control, abuse, and hidden violence. Enjoy today's listen, and I'll see you again on Monday for the final act in our special takeover series.
1:07 Speaker 01 Dear Ma, sometimes you reap many more times what you sow. You have given so much to this family. This is just a little token of our appreciation. Keep it in remembrance of us. Love, Jean and family. Ronald Jean Simmons woke early on December 28, 1987. The bearded Vietnam vet from Pope County, Arkansas, had slept on his couch the night before with two pistols within arm's reach. He lived with his family on a 14-acre farm they called Mockingbird Hill. Despite being a quarter mile from Arkansas Highway 7, the Simmons' home was remote, quiet, and eerily still.
1:49 Speaker 01 That morning, Jean walked the property for what was likely the final time. His stroll brought him to a shallow grave in the woods behind the house. Inside were the bodies of his wife, his granddaughter, and five of his seven children. They were doused in kerosene and laced with barbed wire. They'd been shot, beaten, and strangled to death three days before Christmas. And yet, despite the horrors before him, Jean never flinched. He didn't blink. He didn't shake. He didn't even shed a tear. All he could think about was the bottle of sweet wine waiting for him at home. He returned to the house atop Mockingbird Hill, where he stepped over the bodies of seven more family members.
2:35 Speaker 01 Among them were his eldest daughter, his son, their respective spouses, and three more children, the youngest of whom was only 20 months old. Gene retrieved his sweet wine and drank until the bottle was dry. Then, he sat down and removed all the money in his wallet, roughly $250. He grabbed a pen and some paper and wrote a letter to his mother-in-law, May Novak. He signed it, "Love, Gene and family", knowing damn well that he was the only one left. Over the Christmas weekend in 1987, Gene murdered 14 members of his family in the deadliest act of famillicide in US history. Then, he drove into Russellville, Arkansas,
3:20 Speaker 01 where he wounded four and killed two more. Nobody knew how long he'd been planning the bloodbath. Those outside the secretive family didn't think he had it in him. They didn't know what a monster he was, until rumors began circulating about his seven-year-old daughter, Sylvia, and the incestuous relationship she was born of.
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5:14 Speaker 01 Troubled youth. Ronald Gene Simmons was born six weeks premature to Loretta and William Simmons on July 15, 1940. He was the middle of three children and lived with his poverty-stricken family in Chicago, Illinois. Illness kept the premature baby on death's door for the first two years of his life. His older brother started school in 1942. That same year, his mother gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Then, in 1943, William Simmons dropped dead of a sudden stroke. The sick toddler was left to fend for himself before he could walk, talk, or use the bathroom on his own.
5:57 Speaker 01 Life took a rare positive turn in 1943 when Loretta ironically met and married another William. William Griffin was a civil engineer with the US Army. He was educated and detail-oriented, but more importantly, he was sober and good to the children. Young Gene began calling him Dad Griffin, choosing to retain his birth father's surname. The Army transferred the family to Arkansas in 1946, and they spent much of the next decade bouncing around the state. At one point, settling in Pope County, where Gene would later launch his killing spree. Despite living in a relatively stable home, Gene devolved into the family bully.
6:40 Speaker 01 His half-brother Pete, born in 1945, quickly became the target of his emotional aggression. He teased Pete relentlessly, hitting him, pinching him, and slapping him when nobody else was around. Gene also played the mental game, manipulating his brother into doing things he shouldn't do. For example, Gene once convinced Pete to ride a bicycle, even though it was far too big for him. When Pete fell off and scraped his knee, Gene ran home and told his parents that Pete had taken the bike on his own. The mother knew Gene was lying. She also knew she'd never get the truth out of him.
7:20 Speaker 01 The boy didn't like being questioned, and, in his mind, he was never wrong about anything. To question him was to cross him, and to cross him was to unleash hell. There came a point when Loretta and Dad Griffin couldn't take it anymore. They sent 15-year-old Gene to Morris Academy, a Catholic boarding school for troubled boys. He spent a year with the priests and returned home a well-mannered child. However, what they taught him, or likely forced upon him, wore off within a few months of being home. Gene was back to abusing his parents and secluding himself in the solace of his bedroom.
8:00 Speaker 01 Relief finally came in 1957, when the unruly teen dropped out of high school and joined the US Navy. Rigid discipline was good for Gene. He enjoyed following orders and was eager to please those in authority. After boot camp, he was stationed at a ship repair facility in Guam, where he finally earned his GED. He dreamed of raising his own family on one of the many farms that dotted the Arkansas landscape. He wanted a dedicated wife and as many children as she could bear. He imagined a future with dozens of grandchildren, skipping, singing, and playing in the sun. It was perfect. It was idyllic. And it was the polar opposite of things to come.
8:45 Speaker 01 In 1959, Gene returned to America to work at a naval hospital in Washington State. While attending a USO show at the Bremerton YMCA, he met 18-year-old Rebecca Ulabary. Most people simply called her Becky. Becky was the youngest of five children born to May Ulabary. Her father abandoned the family shortly after Becky's birth, and May quickly remarried a coal miner named Andy Novak. The family lived on a farm where May raised cattle, pigs, and chickens. She was a hard-working woman who kept the family afloat during frequent strikes and layoffs in the coal mines. Becky, however, never felt at home on the farm.
9:29 Speaker 01 She was a good-looking city girl who loved dancing to 1950s rock and roll. Her favorite song was "Teenager in Love" by Dionne and the Belmonts, and she was in love when she looked across the dance floor and locked eyes with Ronald Gene Simmons. Saigon. Becky Ulabary became Becky Simmons on July 9, 1960. The sudden wedding shocked the Simmons family, who hadn't met Becky until Gene brought her home one day and introduced her as his new wife. Everyone, including his brother Pete, was wise enough to keep their mouths shut. Becky seemed good for him. She seemed to change him.
10:14 Speaker 01 The birth of Ronald Gene Jr. a year later was another step in the right direction. But old habits die hard, and soon, Gene was back to his vain, selfish, and controlling ways. Becky couldn't drive, and her husband refused to teach her. He kept a vice grip on the mail, the phone, and all the family finances. In public, he'd correct her country grammar and revel in making her look like a fool. He'd make Becky beg for money to feed their children, simply to make himself feel better about being their provider. Despite the abuse, Becky was a good wife. She kept the home clean and cared for the children while Gene was away with the Air Force.
10:56 Speaker 01 She always referred to him as "my Gene" and would have seven children with him between 1961 and 1979.
11:04 Speaker 01 Among them was their oldest daughter, Sheila Marie, born October 24, 1963. From the moment she first drew breath, Sheila was the light in her father's eye. Becky had never known that kind of affection, so she didn't want to interfere when Gene showed a special interest in their daughter. Although she'd come to regret that decision, blaming Becky wouldn't be fair. Gene molded and manipulated his wife until she was dependent on him to survive. To question him would be to threaten her very existence. Before he deployed to Vietnam in 1967, Gene bought a 20-foot trailer and packed his family inside.
11:48 Speaker 01 He drove it to Becky's parents' home, jacked it up, and removed the tires, ensuring nobody could move the trailer until he returned. He sent her, at most, $40 per month to feed and clothe the children. In today's money, that would be like a single mother of three, living on roughly $390 per month. Gene never saw combat upon landing in Saigon, Vietnam. Instead, he worked in the Personnel Investigations Division, where he excelled as a typist. In the words of his commanding officer, Sergeant Simmons, was an excellent team member. Gene remained in Vietnam until after the 1968 Tet Offensive, when the Vietcong launched
12:32 Speaker 01 a surprise attack on South Vietnamese and American forces stationed in Saigon. He awoke on January 30, 1968, to distant blasts and incoming rocket fire. Small arms fire echoed in the streets near his apartment as a jeep arrived out front to whisk him back to headquarters. Mortars exploded in the street around him as Gene gripped his standard-issue M16. He hadn't held it this tightly since basic training, and wondered if he could still point and shoot. Gene pulled himself together upon arriving at HQ. He manned the phones and relayed messages as nervous sweat rolled off his nose. His CO would later comment on his coolness under pressure.
13:15 Speaker 01 Back home, images of the Tet Offensive played on every TV in America. Becky believed that her beloved Gene was trapped in hell, and she bargained with God to save his life. Four days later, she received a letter from Gene stating that he was okay. Her stomach turned upon reading it, and a cascade of anxious vomit rose in Becky's throat. She raced to the toilet and let everything out, only to fall back, wipe her face, and promise the Lord that she'd be a better wife. Gene came home in July 1968, but the Simmonses wouldn't stay put for long. Like his stepfather before him, Gene's military career would move his family all over the country.
13:59 Speaker 01 They lived in England briefly and spent four years on Travis Air Force Base in California. For Becky, those were the best years of her life. She had six children, with two more on the way. Gene's side of the family meant everything to her, and she even formed a special bond with Dad Griffin. Then, in the mid-1970s, shortly after the birth of their son Eddie, things began to spiral. Life would never be the same, and soon Becky would find herself praying for a way out.
14:37 Speaker 04 In deepest jungle, Cartier's panther spies a wandering bird that circles the skies. A lovebird, lost and missing his mate, is far from his pass in lonely state. Dry your tears, now bears a start. Follow my steps to heal your heart. Panther stalks through the leaves with silent grace. Through the power of scent, she finds the trace. Behold, two lovers reunite in the skies. A most precious thrill sparkling in their eyes. Together forever, they shine each day, bound by the beauty of Cartier.
15:22 Speaker 05 When you think like an athlete,
15:25 Speaker 05 setbacks don't stop you. But mindset alone doesn't get you moving again. That's where Icy Hot steps in. Ice works fast.
15:36 Speaker 05 Heat makes it last. So when the rest of the world settles because of a setback, Icy Hot accelerates your comeback with fast-acting, powerful pain relief. Icy Hot: You're So Back.
15:50 Speaker 01 Control Freak Ronald Gene Simmons never forgot how his M16 felt in his hands during the Tet Offensive. Between then and his return home, he developed an unhealthy infatuation with guns. He fantasized about imaginary battles and shooting as many Viet Cong as he could. The firing range was his second home, and he earned a reputation for being one of the best shots around. According to Becky's brother, Gene could shoot a man in the eye at 20 paces away. Little did he know how true that statement was. Despite never firing a shot in active combat, Gene saw himself as an infallible demigod and war hero.
16:33 Speaker 01 The delusions quickly devolved into verbal and physical abuse. He began beating his wife between 1974 and 1975 after Becky demanded that she learn how to drive. She metaphorically twisted his arm until he relented, and he literally twisted hers for the slightest mistake. Gene became a control freak who was comfortable with violence. Most arguments between the couple ended in a flurry of punches and backhanded slaps. Becky was to dress plainly and keep her hair up at all times. The only time he allowed her to wear makeup was to cover her bruises and black eyes. Becky would write letters to her family, but Gene refused to give her the stamps.
17:17 Speaker 01 This forced Becky to ask others to mail her letters in secret. When her husband found out, he changed their mailing address to a distant P.O. box, one that was too far to walk to in a single day. Gene retired from the military in 1979 after achieving the rank of Master Sergeant in the Air Force. At the time, the family had settled on a two-acre property in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, a small town in Lincoln National Forest. His manipulative ways and need for validation led to one-sided contests between him and Becky to see who was the better parent. He worked on cars with Gene Junior and took the other children roller skating.
17:59 Speaker 01 Sheila, however, was daddy's little girl. The sixteen-year-old was going through physical changes, which made her socially awkward and dependent on her father. She'd never been on a date, and she'd never kissed a boy. Gene wanted to keep it that way. About a year prior, Gene had read and clipped an article about a woman in New England who shot and killed her daughter to prevent her from becoming a prostitute in Boston. But despite clear evidence that the mother did it, the court of public opinion crucified the father for failing to love, counsel, and protect his daughter. Gene watched Sheila come into her body between the ages of sixteen and eighteen.
18:42 Speaker 01 Her hips narrowed, her breasts grew, and she developed the figure of a pretty, small-boned girl, just like her mother. Many fathers dread this time in their daughter's lives, when the prying eyes of lustful men leer at their little girls from every cardinal direction. Gene wouldn't stand for it. He would be the only man in Sheila's life. His lustful eyes were the only ones allowed to gaze upon her. Family Secrets Seven pregnancies had taken a toll on Becky Simmons. One more might kill her. Following her doctor's advice, Becky underwent tubal ligation. In other words, she got her tubes tied.
19:27 Speaker 01 According to the Cleveland Clinic, some common side effects of tubal ligation are symptoms of PMS and menopause. Becky ran into both like a brick wall. She spiraled into a deep depression and was unable to satisfy her husband sexually. Furthermore, Gene now saw her as damaged goods and no longer able to carry his seed. Becky was just another burden whose medical bills were costing him money. He'd fly into a rage and scream at her. "Go ahead, get sick! You don't give a damn about anything or anybody but yourself!" His tirades would send Becky running from the bedroom, tears dotting the floor behind her, until she finally found solace in bed with one of her children.
20:12 Speaker 01 The late 1970s and early 1980s brought more dysfunction and chaos to the Simmons home. Gene began hoarding everything he could, from tin roofs and scrap metal to chicken coops, spare engine parts and tools. If it was free, Gene grabbed it. Gene Jr. had moved away to college, Becky was a wreck, and the younger children largely fended for themselves. Meanwhile, Sheila felt alone and confused. By the summer of 1980, her father was the only person who seemed to show her any attention. The idea of incest didn't bother Gene anymore. He'd been clipping relevant newspapers and reading magazine articles ever since Sheila's
20:55 Speaker 01 body developed. The Egyptians used to do it to preserve their bloodlines. Why shouldn't he? Under the guise of visiting Dad Griffin, who by then was suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's, Gene and Sheila took a father-daughter drive from New Mexico to California. They stopped in Phoenix, Arizona, on the way for a coin show. Old money always fascinated Gene. Sheila simply played along to please her father. They spent all day looking at coins and then booked a motel room outside the city. They ate McDonald's for dinner, and then Gene told Sheila to shower and get ready for bed, as they had a long day of driving ahead of them.
21:38 Speaker 01 When she came out of the shower, she found Gene sitting on one of the beds. He was naked, other than a thin motel towel.
21:46 Speaker 04 "Come over here," he beckoned. "They'll charge us extra if we use both beds."
21:51 Speaker 01 Hopelessly naive, Sheila didn't know any better. She lay down beside him with her hands clutched tightly between her legs. Her father rolled over, put his arm around her, and whispered in her ear.
22:04 Speaker 04 "My beautiful princess, there is so much you don't know. So much I need to teach you."
22:11 Speaker 01 Sheila didn't fight. She didn't protest or kick. She hardly moved as Gene entered her. He finished inside her and then rolled over to catch his breath.
22:22 Speaker 04 "You're a woman now," he said. "You can make all my dreams come true."
22:28 Speaker 01 Becky could tell something was wrong when her husband and eldest daughter came home. Gene doted on Sheila, the same way he used to dote on her when they were lovestruck teenagers. Her penny-pinching husband began showering Sheila with gifts. He'd drive into town to pick her up from school while leaving his other children on the curb to take the bus. He began calling her his "Princess" and "Little Ladybug." The pen names made her sick, but Sheila knew better than to argue. Twice between August and September, Gene forced himself upon his daughter in the back of the Dodge van. He could tell she didn't like it. In fact, she told him as much.
23:09 Speaker 01 The incest ceased during the fall of 1980 and the winter of 1981. For a brief moment, Sheila believed her torment was over. Then, in March of 81, she received news that changed their lives forever. Sheila was pregnant. She told her father, who refused to take her to a doctor to confirm what they already knew. Instead, he took the opportunity to tell Becky and the rest of the family on March 21st, the night of Sheila's senior prom. Sheila didn't have a date and didn't want to go. Gene insisted, having bought her a new blue dress with a loose waist to hide her bulging belly. He told Sheila to enjoy herself and that he'd talk to Becky about the baby that night.
23:55 Speaker 01 "Put yourself in Sheila's prom shoes. Imagine trying to enjoy yourself, knowing full well that a bomb was about to blow your family to bits." Gene's opening statement to his wife was: "Don't say anything until I've finished. Sheila Marie is going to have a baby." He talked about this being their baby and how they'd raise it as a family, just like all the others. Every word out of his mouth solidified the suspicions Becky had held since the summer. Her husband was a monster, and she and her children were trapped in his cave. Sheila returned to a quiet home that evening. All she could hear were her mother's muffled sobs coming from a corner room. Becky refused to get out of bed the following day
24:39 Speaker 01 and lay stone-faced as Gene lectured her about how she ought to feel. Gene swore Becky and Sheila to secrecy. He knew he could lose everything if word ever got out. And if Gene lost everything, Becky would lose everything too. The government would take the children, and legal bills would force them to sell the home. Their respective families would cast them out, and Becky would be left alone to starve on the street. But despite Gene's threats, Becky knew she had to tell someone.
25:12 Speaker 01 On the run, Little Gene wasn't so little anymore. He was twenty years old and spent most of his time away at college. He didn't want anything to do with his father, but still felt an intrinsic duty to his mother and siblings. When Becky told him about Sheila, Little Gene wanted to wring Big Gene's neck. He ultimately confided in a college friend, who implored him to tell the police. So, on April 17th, 1981, Little Gene called the New Mexico Department of Social Services to report the incestuous relationship between his father and sister. On April 20th, a caseworker arrived in Cloudcroft and spoke with Sheila's high school principal.
25:57 Speaker 01 He confirmed that rumors had been spreading around school, and allowed the caseworker to meet with Sheila privately in his office. Surprisingly, Sheila was an open book. She told the caseworker everything about Gene and their trip to California. She confessed that she was carrying her father's child, and that she planned on going through with the pregnancy. Later that day, the caseworker tracked Gene down and confronted him with Sheila's story. Instead of denying it, Gene owned up to it matter-of-factly. "Yes," he said, "that baby is mine." He showed no signs of concern over what the pregnancy might do to his family, nor did he seem remorseful in any way.
26:39 Speaker 01 "I'm sure you understand that I had to do it to protect her," he said. "Sheila is very naive and trusting, and it was my duty as her father." Under threat of prosecution, Gene agreed to seek psychological counseling for himself and the whole family. However, the sessions only lasted five weeks, at which point Gene's lawyer informed him that anything said during counseling could be used against him in court. By then, news of Sheila's pregnancy had spread like wildfire. She couldn't show her face in school, so her principal kindly delivered her assignments so she could graduate. She achieved her high school diploma in May
27:20 Speaker 01 and gave birth to her daughter Sylvia Gale on June 17, 1981. Obviously, Sheila didn't want her baby to bear her father's name. Two months later, Gene was charged with three counts of incest and faced upwards of nine years in prison. Police officers gathered on August 11, planning to arrest him at his home in Cloudcroft. But when they arrived, they found the place deserted. Gene had packed and moved his family 800 miles east toward Arkansas, a small town northeast of Little Rock. By January of 1982, he was working in an army recruiting office and desperately trying to win back Sheila's affection. Not that he ever had it.
28:04 Speaker 01 Gene didn't know it, but Sheila had eyes for another man. While taking classes at Drottin School of Business, she met another young student named Dennis McNulty at the snack bar. He was kind, warm, and genuine, the polar opposite of her sex-addicted father. When Sheila told Dennis about her daughter, the first words out of his mouth were, "I'd love to meet her." Sheila and Dennis began dating that spring, and as hard as they tried to keep it a secret, word of a new suitor in Sheila's life eventually reached Gene. Immediately, he began looking for a remote piece of land to hide his family and his twisted secrets. He eventually found a 14-acre plot
28:48 Speaker 01 near the town of Dover in Pope County, roughly 80 miles east of Ward. He packed the cars, rented a U-Haul, and moved his family as swiftly as he could. Two days later, a no-trespassing sign went up, and Gene erected a 10-foot barbed-wire fence around his new homestead. He called it Mockingbird Hill, and it was atop that hill that Ronald Gene Simmons would make his final stand.
29:18 Speaker 01 Murder on Mockingbird Hill. Gene's new homestead was a half-mobile home, half clapboard house with a steep, red-clay driveway winding down to the road below. With a forest and pond at his back, and a ten-foot fence ahead of him, Gene had successfully isolated his family from the prying eyes of Dennis McNulty, or so he thought. The home was physically large enough for Gene, Becky, all seven children, and baby Sylvia. It had a full kitchen and dining room, but no plumbing, heat, or air conditioning. While the home was rigged for a phone, Gene wouldn't allow one to be set up. He didn't want Becky, Sheila, or anyone else to have contact with the outside world.
30:03 Speaker 01 Once settled, Gene put the kids to work digging ditches and building two small outhouses that would serve as bathrooms. The only person seemingly excused from hard labor was Sheila. She knew why. In fact, everybody on Mockingbird Hill knew why. And yet, that didn't stop Gene from pursuing his daughter. Thankfully, Dennis didn't stop either. He wrote to Sheila as often as he could, and routinely drove over one-hundred-sixty miles round-trip to court her. He put a smile on Sheila's face, a smile that Becky hadn't seen in a long time. She told Gene she'd stand by her daughter if Dennis were the man she wanted to marry. Angry, bitter, and jealous,
30:47 Speaker 01 Gene would do anything to get Dennis McNulty out of their lives. And yet, everything he tried only brought them closer together. Shortly after Easter in 1984, Sheila announced that she and Dennis were engaged. About two weeks later, Gene bought a snub-nose .22 caliber pistol at the closest Walmart in Russellville. He was going to kill Dennis McNulty. He just had to figure out how and when. Meanwhile, Gene worked a series of low-paying odd jobs in Pope County to fund his compound and eventual killing spree. Ironically, Dennis helped him land a gig cleaning the machines at a pickle plant in Atkins. He worked for a frozen food company for a few months
31:31 Speaker 01 before landing at Woodline Motor Freight in Russellville.
31:36 Speaker 01 Part of Gene's job at Woodline was cold calling customers who were past due on their utility payments. Instead, he spent most of his time pining after a young secretary named Kathy Kendrick, who rejected his advances and ultimately quit her job. Sadly, the next time she saw Gene would be the last. Gene's behavior and poor performance got him fired from Woodline. Over the next three years, his only income came from working the graveyard shift at the 24/7 Sinclair Minimart. During that time, Sheila and Bill Simmons, their third-oldest child, had moved out, married, and had their own children. Sheila was the only one with two kids.
32:19 Speaker 01 One was Sylvia, and the other was one-year-old Michael, her and Dennis's first baby boy. The five remaining children, including 26-year-old Gene Junior, still lived at home on Mockingbird Hill. The next oldest was 17-year-old Loretta, and the youngest was eight-year-old Rebecca. The home was getting smaller, the holidays were quieter, and soon, Becky found herself looking for an exit strategy. During the fall of 1987, she worked up the courage to write to Bill and Sheila. "To Bill," she wrote, "I don't want to live the rest of my life with Dad. I am a prisoner here. The kids are too. I want out as soon as possible." To Sheila, she wrote, "Happy birthday.
33:03 Speaker 01 I wanted to buy you a card, but Fatso wouldn't let me." Becky had begun calling Gene "Fatso" in secret. The letter continued, "We found the shells for his gun on the ground outside. I told him that if he ever tried pointing a gun at us, I would get him for assault with a deadly weapon. I've been a prisoner for long enough, and Bill and I are trying to find a way." Day by day, Gene's family slowly slipped through his fingers. Bill's wife, Renata, was a hairstylist who loved working on Becky's hair and makeup. She also touched Sheila and the girls up, making them look like movie stars. Gene, of course, hated it and told the women they looked like whores.
33:44 Speaker 01 But to his dismay, the girls in his life barked back, "You can't treat us like slaves," they said.
33:51 Speaker 02 "We have rights too!"
33:53 Speaker 01 His younger children gravitated to Dennis McNulty, who became more of a father to now-six-year-old Sylvia than Gene ever was. Meanwhile, Sheila and Bill devised a plan during the fall to get their mother away from Gene. They'd do it over Christmas, when the whole family would be together. For Becky, it was a light at the end of the tunnel. All she had to do was make it through the holidays, and she'd be free. Little did she know that Gene had been plotting to kill them all for months. He made a list of people he wanted to kill after his family. Among them were his old boss, a handful of old coworkers, and Kathy Kendrick, the secretary who rejected him.
34:35 Speaker 01 On December 18, 1987, Gene quit his job at the minimart. Four days later, he launched the worst mass-killing spree in Arkansas's history.
34:50 Speaker 04 In deepest jungle, Cartier's panther spies a wandering bird that circles the skies. A lovebird, lost and missing his mate, is far from his path in lonely state. Dry your tears, now bears a start. Follow my steps to heal your heart. Panther stalks through the leaves with silent grace. Through the power of scent, she finds the trace. Behold, two lovers reunite in the skies. A most precious thrill sparkling in their eyes. Together forever, they shine each day, bound by the beauty of Cartier.
35:35 Speaker 05 When you think like an athlete, setbacks don't stop you.
35:40 Speaker 05 But mindset alone doesn't get you moving again. That's where Icy Hot steps in. Ice works fast. Heat makes it last. So when the rest of the world settles because of a setback, Icy Hot accelerates your comeback with fast-acting, powerful pain relief. Icy Hot: You're So Back.
36:03 Speaker 01 Murder on Mockingbird Hill, Day 1. Gene awoke on the morning of December 22 to a relatively empty home. The four youngest children were already at school. Little Gene was asleep in bed, and Becky was getting started on the day's chores. Armed with his .22 caliber revolver and a two-foot piece of galvanized pipe, Gene sat on the couch and flicked on the TV. His eyes glazed over as Wheel of Fortune played like white noise. All he could hear were the voices in his head arguing over whom to kill first. Before he knew it, he was opening the door to Little Gene's room. His eldest boy was fast asleep, likely dreaming of his three-year-old daughter, Barbara, who was...
36:48 Speaker 01 [GUN SHOTS] Gene brought the pipe down over his son's head. The blow, however, didn't kill him. He stumbled out of bed, nearly slipping on his own blood. His eyes came up to meet his father's soulless gaze. A jolt of adrenaline jump-started Little Gene's body. He lunged, but Gene raised his pistol and shot his son twice, once in the chest and once in the face. The 26-year-old fell and began crawling on the floor. The killing blow came from an execution-style gunshot to the back of the skull. One down, thirteen to go. In a flash, Gene found himself pushing open Becky's bedroom door. She'd heard the gunshots and was cradling little Barbara in her arms.
37:31 Speaker 01 Don't kill me, Gene. Please don't kill me. Without hesitation, Gene swung the pipe twice at Becky's head, stunning her. Then, he raised his pistol and fired twice into his wife's face. Blood and brain matter splattered on the wall behind her. Barbara fell in a heap on the floor, at which point Gene knelt and strangled his three-year-old granddaughter to death. Satisfied that his wife, son, and granddaughter were dead, Gene rushed outside to make sure no nosey neighbors had heard the gunshots. He expected to hear distant sirens, but the air over Mockingbird Hill was quiet, other than the whoosh of cold winter air. One by one, he loaded the dead bodies into the new privy pit
38:14 Speaker 01 that his children had spent the last several weeks digging. Little did they know they were digging their own graves. When he was done, he went back inside, opened a bottle of wine, and continued watching Wheel of Fortune on the couch. All he could do now was wait. The school bus would be pulling up later that afternoon. He sipped from the bottle and thought, "Three down, eleven to go." He sat still and stone-faced until the distant hiss of a breaking school bus broke his trance. Gene's four youngest children scampered off the bus as it dropped them at the bottom of Mockingbird Hill. They hurried up the red clay driveway, excited to begin their Christmas vacation.
38:57 Speaker 01 That's when they saw Gene approaching, wearing a wide grin. "I have a special Christmas gift for all of you," he said, "but I want to give it to you one at a time." He told the others to wait in the station wagon while he walked inside with Loretta. She was the oldest. It was only fair that she went first. Loretta followed Gene to his bedroom, where nobody was ever allowed. He closed and locked the door behind them, and immediately, Loretta knew something was wrong. Gene grabbed her hair in his left hand and punched her twice in the face with his right. He split her lips and likely broke her nose. Then, he removed a length of fishing wire from his pocket and strangled Loretta until the life faded from her eyes.
39:43 Speaker 01 He carried her body to her room and placed her on the bed. Then, he returned to the station wagon, where the windows fogged with the excited breath of his three youngest children. One by one, he did to them what he'd done to Loretta. When he was done, he cast their bodies into the privy pit, where their mother, brother, and niece all lay. Finally, Gene returned to the couch, drank his wine, and started on a six-pack of Schlitz. Seven down, he was halfway there.
40:16 Speaker 01 Murder on Mockingbird Hill, Day Two. Gene spent the next four days drinking, talking to himself, and punching holes in the wall. Paranoid that his crimes would be discovered, he took multiple walks every day around the property, stopping at the gravesite to ensure the bodies hadn't moved. It was noon on the 26th. Gene was pissing outside when he heard a distant car door slam at the bottom of Mockingbird Hill. Worried that it might be the police, Gene rushed inside and grabbed his .22. He pressed his ear to the door, waited, and listened.
40:53 Speaker 02 Stop crying, Trey. We're at Grandma's house.
40:56 Speaker 01 Gene heard Bill say to his son, William "Trey" Simmons III. He peeked out the window and saw Renata walking behind Bill and their son. Her arms were full of bags, toys, and Christmas presents for the kids. Gene welcomed them inside and told Bill he was working on a secret Christmas gift for Becky. He said that she and the kids would be home soon, and that he needed help wrapping it. Bill could smell the stench of schlitz on his father's breath, but that was par for the course. Oddly, Christmas was the only time of year that he ever saw a sliver of humanity in his dad. Bill could only wonder what this "secret gift" might be. Renata was sitting with her son on the couch when she heard Bill scream. Dad, no!
41:41 Speaker 01 Several gunshots followed, at which point Gene turned the corner and trained his gun on Renata. He fired four times, striking her twice in the neck and jaw. Gene approached, kicked her body over, and emptied his remaining bullets into her head. He always hated Renata, and was happy to mutilate her pretty face. The only thing he regretted was not making her watch as he strangled her son to death with fishing twine. When it was over, Gene fell onto the couch and reloaded his pistol. He took another long pull of wine and kicked his feet up on the coffee table above Renata's bullet-riddled head. He felt more alive than he had in weeks, and he couldn't wait for Sheila, Dennis, and the kids to arrive now.
42:25 Speaker 01 "He turned your little ladybug against you," said the voices in his head. "She lied to you and betrayed you and destroyed your family." Another car door slammed at the bottom of Mockingbird Hill. Gene felt a sexual shock up and down his body as he watched Sheila walk up the driveway with baby Michael in her arms. Sylvia ran ahead while Dennis worked on unloading the car.
42:49 Speaker 02 "Loretta? Barbara?"
42:51 Speaker 01 Sylvia called out as she hurried inside. She ran by Gene, who was hiding in the shadow beside the sliding glass door. Sheila almost missed him, too. Then, her eyes fell upon the bloodbath in the living room. Her ears heard the pistol cocking in her father's hand. Gene loved the look on her face. "I told you what you were doing to this family," he said, nodding toward the bodies of Renata and Trey. "You and Dennis have destroyed us, and now, now we all have to pay." Sheila put Michael down and begged Gene not to hurt her children.
43:25 Speaker 02 "I'll always love you, ladybug, and I'll see you again in hell."
43:30 Speaker 01 Gene fired thrice into Sheila's face, striking her in the lip, cheek, and eye. Dennis heard the cracking gunshots echo over Mockingbird Hill. He dropped everything and sprinted toward the house. He burst inside, only to meet the barrel of Gene's gun. They wrestled over it, but Gene, drunk on wine and high on adrenaline, won the match. He pistol-whipped Dennis and shot him once behind the ear, killing him instantly. Gene would have liked to watch him suffer a little longer. Sylvia was hiding behind the Christmas tree when Gene grabbed her. He wrapped the fishing line around her neck and pulled until his incestuous daughter bit through and choked on her tongue.
44:13 Speaker 01 Then, he grabbed Michael and drowned the toddler in a bucket of water. Gene finished by wrapping Michael and Trey in plastic and leaving them in the trunks of two rusted cars. He then arranged the adults in the dining room and covered all but Sheila in winter coats. For his oldest daughter, his love, his ladybug. Gene covered her in Becky's best tablecloth, making sure to cross her limp hands over her chest like a proper funeral.
44:44 Speaker 01 Murder on Mockingbird Hill, Day 3.
44:49 Speaker 01 Dear Ma, Sometimes, you reap many more times what you sow. You have given so much to this family. This is just a little token of our appreciation. Keep it in remembrance of us. Love, Gene and Family. It was shortly after 9:00 AM on the morning of December 28. Gene drew the blinds on all his windows, just in case his neighbors got any bright ideas while he was gone. He'd spent the past 48 hours in a drunken stupor, eating nothing but cheese and onions, as he stepped over the bodies of his dead family members. But now he was out of schlitz and sweet wine, and the food was starting to rot. He tucked his letter to Becky's mother into his rear waistband.
45:33 Speaker 01 Into a brown paper bag, he loaded his snub-nosed pistol and a six-shot Ruger. He ensured the doors were locked and that the bodies were well-covered. Then, Gene snuck out a window and stole his eldest son's truck. He departed Mockingbird Hill for the final time, driving south on Route 7, until he reached the town of Dover, where he stopped at the post office to mail his letter and the $250 he'd tucked inside. From there, it was eight miles to Russellville, where Gene stopped again outside the law firm where Kathy Kendrick now worked. He slipped his snub-nosed in his jacket pocket and walked straight into the office.
46:16 Speaker 01 He found Kathy chatting with a client, her mind glued to paperwork on her desk. "Can I help you?" Kathy asked as her eyes came up to meet the barrel of Jean's pistol. She squeaked out the words, "Oh no!" before Jean put a bullet in her head. He squeezed off three more rounds as Kathy fell backward into her chair. Then, he fled the scene, leaving the other woman shaking in fear. She gathered herself and called the police to report the shooting around 10:17 a.m. An ambulance arrived and rushed Kathy to the hospital, where she died minutes later due to blood loss and brain damage. By then, Jean was pulling into the parking lot of the Taylor Oil Company,
46:58 Speaker 01 where his old boss, Rusty Taylor, was sitting in his office. Jean entered and saw Rusty through his open door. He raised his gun and fired twice, striking Rusty in the right arm and upper torso. As he turned to leave, a door opened and Jean encountered J.D. Chaffin, a 34-year-old Russellville firefighter who worked part-time at the oil company. Without breaking stride, Jean raised his pistol and shot J.D. once through the eye, killing him instantly. Just as J.D.'s body hit the floor, Julie Money, another employee, stepped out of the bathroom, prompting Jean to spin and fire, narrowly missing the side of her head. He fled, likely thinking she was dead.
47:43 Speaker 01 Moments later, Julie called the police to report the second Russellville shooting in under 15 minutes. December 28th was her first day on the job. Jean knew he was running on borrowed time. He stepped on the gas and raced to the Sinclair Minimart, passing several squad cars and ambulances on the way. His tires screamed as the truck skidded into the parking lot. Jean grabbed his pistol and marched into the minimart, where he immediately opened fire on another old boss, David Sawyer, who was sitting at a table in the back of the store, drinking coffee with a friend. David ducked instinctively upon hearing the gunshot, and the bullet buried itself in the wall behind his head.
48:27 Speaker 01 Gene fired several more times, grazing David on the forehead and another employee in the cheek. A third man, Tony Serta, began pelting Gene with soda cans and eventually drove him away. His throwing arm likely saved their lives that day. A third 911 call came in. This time, dispatchers could pinpoint Gene's last-known direction. He was heading east across town toward his final destination, Woodline Motor Freight Company, where he planned to murder another old supervisor, Joyce Butts. Nobody saw Gene walking into the office that morning. He stopped near a Christmas tree and scanned the room until his eyes met Joyce at her desk. He walked over and squeezed off two shots,
49:12 Speaker 01 striking her in the head and chest. Vicky Jackson, Joyce's coworker, was shaking behind her desk as the echo of gunfire died down. She squeezed her eyes as footsteps approached her. When she finally looked, she saw Gene looming over her, motioning with his gun for her to move. "Please don't shoot me," Vicky begged. "I'm not going to shoot you," Gene assured her. "It's all over now. I've done everything I wanted to do and gotten everyone who wanted to hurt me." With that, Gene dropped the gun and told Vicky to call the police. The building was surrounded within minutes. Gene didn't put up a fight as police officers took him into custody. Before noon on December 28, 1987,
49:57 Speaker 01 Gene had shot six people in Russellville, wounding four and killing two. Joyce Butts required open-heart surgery to remove the bullet fragments from her chest. She spent the rest of her days with partial paralysis on the left side of her body. Gene's other surviving victims recovered from their wounds, but would forever live with the physical and mental scars of Gene's Christmas shooting spree. Back on Mockingbird Hill, Pope County Sheriff James Bolin had a bad feeling about what he'd find inside the Simmons's home. It was eerily still for a property with so many signs of life. Chickens ran loose and toys littered the driveway. Four cars were parked beneath a large cedar tree in the front yard.
50:42 Speaker 01 Without a search warrant, he slid through the same window Gene had used to exit. He fell to the floor and landed next to Sheila's body, which was still covered in Becky's best tablecloth. Bolin scrambled to his feet and quickly opened all the doors and windows, allowing his deputies to enter while the fog of fresh death leaked out. One by one, the bodies of Gene's 14 family members were loaded out on stretchers and brought into town. In total, 16 bodies ranging in age from 20 months to 46 years crowded the Pope County Medical Examiner's Office. It was a busy Christmas and a bleak New Year.
51:27 Speaker 01 Death Wish. Ronald Gene Simmons went on trial for the Christmas murders on May 9, 1988. He'd been quiet since his arrest. He'd lost significant weight, and his beard had grown down to his belt. He'd undergone 60 rigorous days of psychological testing. Where most killers might try to appear insane, Gene did his best to prove he was clear-minded and competent. Death was his ultimate goal. He planned on killing himself after the shooting spree, but he was worried that his 22-caliber hollow point rounds weren't enough to do the job. In his own words, "He didn't want to spend the rest of his life in jail as a vegetable." This, however,
52:12 Speaker 01 put Gene between a rock and a hard place. Under Arkansas law, only a jury can decide to sentence someone to death. If Gene pleaded guilty, then his maximum sentence would be life in prison without parole. This meant Gene had to stand trial and do everything he could to appear guilty. At one point, while lawyers from both parties were having a routine sidebar with the judge, Gene lunged from the defendant's table and sucker punched the prosecutor. Jurors watched in horror as Gene was led away by police, kicking and shrieking like a madman. The judge asked them to forget what they'd seen, which was like asking a child not to eat a second piece of candy.
52:55 Speaker 01 Gene got his death wish in February 1989, when the jury found him guilty on three counts of capital murder. These included the deaths of Kathy Kendrick and James Chaffin. In the interest of time, the courts lumped all 14 family members into one single charge. Ronald Gene Simmons walked into the execution chamber on June 25, 1990. The curtains drew back, revealing 14 people who had gathered to watch Gene die. Among them were his lawyers, Sheriff Boland, and the prosecutor he punched during his trial. Gene's final words were, "Justice delayed, finally be done. It's justifiable homicide."
53:37 Speaker 01 His attorney interpreted it to mean that Gene had always accepted his fate and believed his execution had been delayed too long. Gene died at 9:19 PM, becoming the first execution via lethal injection in Arkansas's history. He was buried in a pauper's grave after his surviving family members refused to claim his body. Nobody knows much about Gene's motive for killing his family. He remained tight-lipped between the murders and his execution, never giving anybody any concrete evidence as to why. He was insecure and hated when things didn't go his way. He abused his family and kept everyone on a tight leash.
54:19 Speaker 01 But his children rebelled as they grew older, marrying into stable relationships and learning what a monster their father truly was. They turned Becky against him and would soon corrupt the minds of his younger children and grandchildren. Gene had to take action. He had to save them from themselves. But why stop there? If he was going to kill, why not take care of everybody who'd wronged him over the years? This was Gene's world. Everyone else was simply living in it. This, of course, is just a theory. Everyone who could speak to Gene's mental state is either dead or too far removed to give an accurate answer. He left no writings and no manifesto.
55:01 Speaker 01 He was deemed mentally sane and competent to stand trial. And there were no signs of drug-induced hallucinations. All we have is the cryptic letter he wrote to Becky's mother. Sometimes, you reap many more times what you sow.
55:17 Speaker 01 Be sure to follow Crime Hub wherever you get your podcasts and get new episodes every Friday at 1 PM Eastern.
55:25 Speaker 06 Welcome to the 50th Hunger Games!
55:27 Speaker 07 Witness the beginning of the revolution.
55:29 Speaker 06 Hey Mitch, you've been trying to take down these games from Star.
55:32 Speaker 07 Filmed for IMAX.
55:34 Speaker 06 Make them remember you.
55:36 Speaker 07 The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Weeping, November 20th, rated PG-13.
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