In March of 2021, the quiet community of Mountain View, Arkansas, was unsettled by the discovery of two of its residents deceased in a home on Chateau Pointe Loop. Forty-year-old Brandy Niccole Avey Patrick and sixty-four-year-old Ronald Calkins were found on the kitchen floor of the residence by Brandy's son, who had gone to check on his mother. The front door of the home was found open, leading to the grim scene within.
Investigators quickly determined that both Brandy and Ronald had
been shot. As the investigation commenced, it was noted that Ronald Calkins' 2001 white Dodge Ram was missing from the property. This detail became a crucial piece of the puzzle for law enforcement officials who were now piecing together the events that led to the double homicide. The search for the missing vehicle and the individual who had taken it became a primary focus for the Stone County Sheriff's Department.
The missing truck was located later that same day at a grocery store in the nearby town of Fifty-Six. Authorities responded to the location and took forty-five-year-old Royce Calkins, the son of Ronald Calkins and Brandy Patrick's boyfriend, into custody without incident. Upon his arrest, Royce Calkins reportedly told deputies, 'I'm sorry about all this. It was an accident.'.
Further investigation revealed a troubled motive behind the tragic events. Royce Calkins later disclosed to authorities his belief that his father and girlfriend had been conspiring against him, a delusion that appeared to have fueled his actions. While being processed at the Stone County Jail, when asked about any medical conditions, he stated that he suffered from a 'broken heart because of what he had to do.' Ultimately, Royce Calkins was found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of his girlfriend, Brandy Patrick, and his father, Ronald Calkins. He was subsequently sentenced to two terms of life in prison for the killings.
