Ruth Gee was a 39-year-old female who died on September 21, 2009, at her residence in Beason, Illinois. At the time of her death, she was known to be a homemaker. Her obituary indicates that she passed away at home, with visitation and funeral arrangements held in the days that followed. She was identified as Ruth Ann Constant Gee, and her death was announced through the local funeral home in Mount Pulaski.
Her gender and age are consistently stated in notices such as her obituary and memorial records.
Shortly after September 21, 2009, law enforcement discovered that Ruth Gee, the 39-year-old female, was among five members of the Gee family—including her husband Raymond “Rick” Gee and three of their children—who suffered fatal injuries consistent with blunt-force trauma. The victims were discovered after a 911 call reporting possible gunshots at their rural home; authorities later disclosed that the cause of death for Rick and Ruth Gee and their three children was indeed blunt-force injuries. The youngest daughter, aged 3, survived but sustained severe injuries and was hospitalized in critical condition.
At that early stage, law enforcement officials declined to discuss details of the weapon used, any potential motives, or whether there were identified suspects. The small town of Beason was thrown into shock, with residents urged to keep their doors locked, and investigators—assisted in part by the FBI—worked the crime scene and canvassed the surrounding area extensively, with over 100 tips submitted to a hotline.
In the weeks that followed, investigations yielded critical breakthroughs. Two brothers, Christopher Harris and Jason Harris, were arrested and charged in connection with the killings. Christopher Harris, aged around 30 at the time, and his younger brother Jason, aged around 22, were indicted on multiple counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, attempted sexual assault, and obstruction of justice. Authorities alleged that they entered the Gee family home armed with a tire iron, intending both to commit robbery and to sexually assault the couple's teenage daughter, Justina Constant. During the violent intrusion, Ruth Gee, the 39-year-old female, was fatally struck along with her husband and three of their children; their three-year-old daughter survived after suffering multiple skull fractures and brain swelling.
At trial, Christopher Harris was convicted on five counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Ruth Gee her husband, and three children, as well as additional charges related to the attempted murder of the surviving child, home invasion, and robbery. He was ultimately sentenced to five consecutive life terms, plus additional years for the other charges. Jason Harris, who had been initially charged with murder but agreed to a plea deal, testified against his brother and received a prison sentence for concealment of a homicide, obstruction of justice, and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance.
In 2014, at the request of the Gee family and with approval from environmental authorities, the home where the murders occurred was burned down by members of the local fire department. This act was described as part of the family's efforts to bring closure, and to remove the physical reminder of the tragedy.
