On December 26, 1987, a festive after-Christmas gathering turned into a scene of unimaginable horror in Dover, Arkansas, where 21-year-old Renata Lynn May Simmons was tragically murdered. Renata, her husband William 'Billy' Simmons II, and their 20-month-old son, William H. 'Trae' Simmons III, had been invited to the home of her father-in-law, Ronald Gene Simmons.
Shortly after their arrival, the young family was met with fatal violence.
Renata and her husband were both shot and killed by Ronald Gene Simmons. Their infant son was also among the victims, his life cut short by an act of brutality. This was just the beginning of a larger massacre that would ultimately claim the lives of 16 people, 14 of whom were members of the Simmons family. Over the course of several days, Ronald Gene Simmons systematically murdered his family members.
Following the murders at his home, the killer's rampage continued in the nearby town of Russellville on December 28, 1987, where he killed two more people and wounded several others before finally surrendering to police. Ronald Gene Simmons was arrested and subsequently charged with multiple counts of capital murder. He was convicted of the crimes and sentenced to death. After waiving his right to appeal, he was executed by lethal injection on June 25, 1990. The massacre remains the deadliest in Arkansas's history.
