Raymond “Rick” Gee, a 46-year-old male of presumably White ethnicity was found dead in his home in Beason, Illinois, on September 21, 2009. The pronouncement of his death occurred at approximately 4:46 p.m. that day. Fellow family members discovered that Gee had died alongside his wife, a 39-year-old woman, and three of their children: a 16-year-old daughter, a 14-year-old son, and an 11-year-old son.
A 3-year-old daughter survived the attack but was found severely injured and was hospitalized. The victims' cause of death was blunt force trauma, indicative of a violent struggle inside their rural home. The surviving toddler was in critical condition at a nearby hospital. The murders shook the small community, prompting broad investigation.
Details of the crime scene reveal the brutal nature of the killings. Investigators noted that Rick Gee, the 46-year-old male victim, lay face-down in the living room, surrounded by blood spatter on the ceiling, walls, and floor—he had sustained more than 13 blows to the head. His wife, a 39-year-old female, lay in the couple's bedroom; she had also endured at least 13 strikes, one of which collapsed part of her skull above her right eye. The 14-year-old son was found at a bedroom doorway, having been struck upwards of 30 times. The 11-year-old son was located in the bathroom and had both sides of his skull caved in following around eight blows. The 16-year-old daughter likewise fell victim to blunt trauma and died. The only survivor, the 3-year-old daughter, suffered multiple skull fractures severe enough to necessitate removal of fragments of her skull due to brain swelling; she was unconscious and unable to see or speak at the time. Investigators discovered a bloody handprint in the bathroom and an undisturbed shoe print outside matching aggressive-tread K-Swiss tennis shoes, offering critical forensic clues.
Within weeks of the massacre, authorities arrested a suspect: Christopher H. Harris, a 30-year-old male and the ex-husband of the family's adult daughter. Christopher Harris was taken into custody on or around October 1, 2009, in connection to the slayings of the 46-year-old male his 39-year-old wife, and their three children. At the time of the arrest, investigators acknowledged the possibility of additional arrests but for now had charged Harris with multiple counts. Law enforcement linked him to the crime by matching the distinctive shoe tread, from K-Swiss shoes he was observed wearing, to the print found at the scene. Additionally, a bloody handprint in the bathroom matched Harris. His pickup truck—a gray, primer-painted vehicle matching witness descriptions—was also tied to the case; the family's missing laptop was later found hidden in the bed of that truck. As a result, investigators charged Christopher Harris with five counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder for the assault on the surviving toddler. His younger brother, Jason Harris, also became entangled in the case: authorities ultimately charged him as well, and he later cooperated with prosecutors.
At trial, prosecutors presented overwhelming forensic evidence linking Christopher Harris to the murders. His shoe tread matched, his fingerprints were found, and items belonging to the victims were discovered in his possession. Jason Harris testified that he and his brother had ingested drugs and alcohol before going to the Gee home. He stated that Christopher entered the residence armed with a tire iron, and he later witnessed him strike one of the children multiple times. Christopher Harris was ultimately convicted on five first-degree murder charges in May 2013 for the deaths of the 46-year-old male Rick Gee; the 39-year-old female Ruth Gee; and the three children: a 16-year-old female, a 14-year-old male, and an 11-year-old male. The surviving 3-year-old daughter, though attacked, was not among the deceased. Sentencing took place in July 2013, and Harris was ordered to serve five consecutive life terms, plus additional decades for attempted murder and related charges. Jason Harris received a reduced sentence in exchange for testifying and entered a plea resulting in about ten years in prison for obstruction and concealment.
