In the quiet town of Huntsville, Arkansas, a shocking act of violence shattered the morning calm on May 1, 2021. Mark Lee Simmons, a 66-year-old male, was found deceased inside a residence located off Arkansas Highway 23. His life, along with that of his sister-in-law, Mary Marlene Simmons, was cut short in what would be investigated as a double homicide.
The tragedy unfolded at the home where Mark lived with his brother, Richard Simmons Jr., and Richard's wife, Mary.
Madison County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the house around 5:30 a.m. to a grim scene. Inside, they discovered Richard Simmons Jr. alive but suffering from gunshot wounds. Mark Lee Simmons and Mary Marlene Simmons, age 65, were both found deceased, having also been shot. The initial 911 call was made by Richard Simmons Jr., who reported that his son had shot him, his wife, and his brother.
The suspect in this devastating family tragedy was quickly identified as Samuel Oliver Simmons, the 44-year-old son of Richard and Mary, and the nephew of Mark Lee Simmons. Samuel Simmons also resided at the home. Following the shootings, he fled the scene but was apprehended later that same day by an Arkansas State Trooper near Huntsville. He was taken into custody without incident.
Samuel Simmons was subsequently charged with two counts of capital murder for the deaths of his mother and uncle, and one count of attempted capital murder for the shooting of his father. The investigation was handed over to the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division. In the years following the incident, the case has moved through the legal system, with court proceedings and a trial scheduled for the accused. The community was left to grapple with the loss of two of its members in a violent domestic incident that ended a quiet Saturday morning in bloodshed.
