In the quiet, early morning hours of May 1, 2021, a tragedy unfolded in a rural cabin south of Huntsville, Arkansas. Mary Marlene Simmons, a 65-year-old female, was found deceased in her home on Madison County Road 5675. The peaceful residence she shared with her husband, Richard Simmons Jr., her brother-in-law, Mark Lee Simmons, and her son, Samuel Oliver Simmons, became the scene of a violent crime.
Madison County Sheriff's deputies responded to the residence around 5:30 a.m.
following a distressing 911 call from Richard Simmons Jr. During the call, he reported that he had been shot multiple times by his son. Dispatchers overheard yelling before the call was abruptly disconnected after the sound of two more gunshots. Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered a grim scene on the first floor of the two-story cabin. Mary Marlene Simmons and her brother-in-law, 66-year-old Mark Lee Simmons, were both found dead from gunshot wounds.
Upstairs, deputies located Richard Simmons Jr., then 67, alive but suffering from several gunshot wounds. He was able to inform the deputies that his son, 44-year-old Samuel Oliver Simmons, was the one who had shot them. Richard Simmons Jr. was then airlifted to a Fayetteville hospital where he was reported to be in stable condition. He also told investigators that he had managed to get the gun away from his son and unload it before Samuel left the room.
Later that day, Samuel Oliver Simmons was apprehended by an Arkansas State Trooper following a traffic stop near Huntsville. The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division was asked to take the lead in the investigation. Samuel Simmons was taken into custody and booked into the Madison County Jail. He faces two counts of capital murder for the deaths of his mother, Mary Marlene Simmons, and his uncle, Mark Lee Simmons, as well as one count of attempted capital murder for the shooting of his father. The case has seen several delays, including postponements for a mental evaluation for the accused. Prosecutors have indicated they may seek the death penalty.
