A Family's Nightmare: The Grisly Crimes of Ronald Gene Simmons || True Crime Documentary

A Family's Nightmare: The Grisly Crimes of Ronald Gene Simmons || True Crime Documentary

In December 1987, in the town of Dover, Arkansas, Ronald Gene Simmons turned the holiday season into an unimaginable nightmare. From a revered war hero, Simmons became the perpetrator of the worst family massacre in American history.

Simmons was born in Chicago in 1940 and had a distinguished military career in the US Navy and Air Force. However, behind his respectable exterior, he allegedly sexually assaulted his daughter and fathered a child with her. To avoid prosecution, Simmons moved his family to a remote estate in Arkansas, where he ruled with absolute violence and control.

On December 22, 1987, Simmons began his massacre by killing his wife, son, and niece. He then killed his young children one by one as they returned home from school. On December 26, the remaining family members visited and were also killed. In the end, Simmons killed a total of 14 members of his family.

Simmons then continued his killing spree in Russellville, killing two people and wounding four others. He was captured without resistance and later sentenced to death. Simmons did not appeal the sentence and was executed by lethal injection in 1990.

The case of Ronald Gene Simmons is a haunting reminder of the danger lurking in seemingly ordinary families and the importance of recognizing early warning signs.