In the quiet town of Mountain View, Arkansas, a grim discovery was made on March 9, 2021, shattering the community's sense of peace. Ronald Lynn Calkins, a 64-year-old male, was found deceased in his home on Chateau Pointe Loop. Alongside him was the body of 40-year-old Brandy Patrick, also of Mountain View. The scene, discovered by Patrick's son who had gone to check on his mother, immediately pointed towards a violent end for the pair, with both appearing to have suffered from gunshot
wounds.
The initial investigation by the Stone County Sheriff's Deputies and Arkansas State Police quickly identified a person of interest: Ronald's own son, Royce Calkins, who was 43 years old at the time and lived at the residence with his father. A key piece of evidence that raised suspicion was a black Glock handgun found in Ronald Calkins' left hand. Investigators noted that Ronald had been shot in the left wrist, an injury that would have made it nearly impossible to hold the weapon. This, coupled with the fact that his mother confirmed he was right-handed, suggested the scene had been staged after his death. Furthermore, Ronald Calkins' truck was missing from the property.
The search for Royce Calkins did not last long. Later that same day, authorities located Ronald's missing truck at a store in the nearby community of Fifty-Six. Royce Calkins was found and taken into custody without incident. During the investigation, it was revealed that Royce had contacted a man using his father's phone, telling him that his father and Brandy Patrick 'were gone.' When pressed, he admitted that this meant they were deceased, claiming they had been 'conspiring against him and there were others that were in on it.' Upon his arrest, Royce Calkins reportedly expressed remorse, stating, 'I'm sorry about all this. It was an accident,' and later told jail staff that he had a 'broken heart because of what he had to do.'
Royce Calkins was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The case proceeded through the legal system, and in April 2023, he was found guilty of the murders of his father, Ronald Calkins, and his girlfriend, Brandy Patrick. For these crimes, he was sentenced to two terms of life in prison, bringing a somber conclusion to a tragic event that took two lives and left a family irrevocably broken.
