Justina Constant was a 16-year-old female resident of Beason, Illinois, who died on September 21, 2009. She attended Lincoln Community High School and lived in the rural community of Beason in Logan County at the time of her passing. Reports indicate that she died at her home, with one account specifying that the pronouncement of her death occurred at 4:46 p.m. on that Monday.
Visitation and funeral arrangements were held at the Family Life Center in Mount Pulaski, with her funeral following at 2 p.m., and burial took place at Laenna Cemetery in Chestnut. Her birth date is listed as January 3, 1993. Her gender age and student status are consistently noted in the available obituaries and memorial entries.
The circumstances of her death were part of a violent multiple-homicide incident targeting her family. On September 21, 2009, authorities discovered Justina, her mother Ruth Gee her stepfather Raymond “Rick” Gee and her 14-year-old sibling Dillen Constant, as well as an 11-year-old sibling Austin Gee, had been killed inside the family home in Beason. Justina Constant, a 16-year-old female was among the victims. A three-year-old child, Tabitha Gee, survived the attack and was critically injured.
Law enforcement described the cause of death for Justina, her stepfather, her mother, and her siblings, as blunt force trauma, indicating a violent struggle had occurred inside the residence. Investigators believed the scene suggested more than one offender was involved, and public appeals warned residents of possible danger from suspects who might show physical signs of recent trauma such as bruises, scratches, or other injuries. Officials asked the public to report anyone exhibiting such injuries. At the time of that initial investigation, authorities had not released specific suspect descriptions, though they noted the possibility of more than one perpetrator and suspected that they might be injured.
In the weeks following the incident, law enforcement arrested two men: Christopher Harris, age 30, and his brother Jason Harris, age 22. Investigators alleged that the Harris brothers entered the Gee-Constant home armed with a tire iron. Their purported intent, according to indictments, included robbery and the attempted sexual assault of the 16-year-old female victim, Justina Constant. It was further alleged that the brothers had also planned to steal from the family and did take an Acer Aspire laptop during the course of the crime. Charges against Christopher Harris numbered 68 counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, and attempted sexual assault; Jason Harris faced 71 counts, including similar charges plus obstruction of justice, related to actions such as burning his brother’s clothes, concealing a stolen computer, and providing false statements to authorities. Both brothers pleaded not guilty at their initial court appearance. Potential sentences ranged from decades in prison up to life imprisonment—or possibly the death penalty if sought by the state.
Thus, Justina Constant, a 16-year-old female high-school student, died on September 21, 2009, as a victim of a brutal attack that claimed multiple members of her family. Investigators tracked and arrested two suspects, the Harris brothers, presenting a motive involving robbery, attempted sexual assault, and violence against known family members.
