Christopher Harris and the 2009 Gee Family Murders
The Mass Murder in Beason, Illinois
Christopher Harris was convicted of murdering five members of the Gee family during a violent attack inside their home in Beason, Illinois, in September 2009. The victims included two adults and three children. A sixth victim, three-year-old Tabitha Gee, suffered severe injuries but survived. The killings shocked the small farming community of Beason, an unincorporated community in Logan County with fewer than 200 residents at the time.
The attack occurred during the night of September 20 and the early morning hours of September 21, 2009, at the Gee family residence on the outskirts of Beason. Harris knew the family and had previously been married to Nicole Gee, an adult daughter of Raymond and Ruth Gee. Because of that relationship, Harris was familiar with the victims and their home.
The Victims
- Raymond "Rick" Gee Age 46. Murdered during the night of September 20-21, 2009, inside his family's home in Beason, Logan County, Illinois.
- Ruth Gee Age 39. Rick Gee's wife. Murdered during the same attack inside the Beason residence.
- Justina Constant Age 16. Ruth Gee's daughter and Rick Gee's stepdaughter. Murdered inside the family home.
- Dillen Constant Age 14. Ruth Gee's son and Rick Gee's stepson. Murdered during the attack.
- Austin Gee Age 11. The son of Rick and Ruth Gee. Murdered inside the residence.
- Tabitha Gee Age 3. The daughter of Rick and Ruth Gee. She was severely injured during the attack but survived.
Events Before the Murders
On September 20, 2009, Christopher Harris and his younger brother, Jason Harris, spent time drinking and using drugs. Evidence presented during the later trial indicated that the brothers traveled to Beason during the night. Jason eventually admitted that he accompanied Christopher to the area of the Gee residence but maintained that he remained outside while Christopher entered the house.
According to Jason Harris's testimony, Christopher carried a tire iron as he approached the home. Jason said he waited outside and heard noises coming from the residence. Christopher later emerged with blood on him and allegedly admitted that he had killed the family. Jason initially concealed information from investigators and helped provide misleading accounts of the brothers' activities.
Prosecutors argued that Christopher Harris went to the Gee residence with criminal intentions involving 16-year-old Justina Constant. The prosecution contended that when members of the household interrupted or resisted him, Harris attacked the family to eliminate witnesses. Harris denied that version of events and presented a dramatically different explanation at trial.
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