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The holiday season of 1987 in Russellville, Arkansas, should have been a time of joy and family togetherness. Instead, it became the setting for one of the most shocking family massacres in U.S. history, orchestrated by Harold Gene Simmons Sr. Over the course of several days, Simmons murdered 16 people, 14 of whom were his own family members, in a calculated spree that left a small town reeling and the nation horrified.
On December 22, 1987, Simmons set his murderous plan into motion. He began by killing his wife, Rebecca, and eldest son, Gene Jr., in their home. He then fatally strangled Gene Jr.'s daughter, his three-year-old granddaughter, Barbara before disposing their bodies in a cesspit he had his children dig earlier on the property.
Then he waited for four of his children to come home from school. When they arrived, one by one, he strangled and drowned them in a rain barrel outside their home.
When the other family members arrived for the Christmas holiday on December 26th, Simmons systematically executed them along with their spouses and children, using a variety of methods including strangulation and shooting. Simmons ensured that no one was left alive to escape or call for help.
After annihilating his family, Simmons did not stop. On December 28, he drove to Russellville, Arkansas and targeted former coworkers and acquaintances he believed had wronged him. He killed two and injured four others in a cold-blooded rampage before calmly surrendering to police.
The sheer brutality of Simmons' crimes stunned the nation. In total, he had murdered 16 people, making it one of the deadliest familial massacres in U.S. history. Simmons showed no remorse during his trial and even requested to waive his appeals. He was convicted and sentenced to death, and on June 25, 1990, he was executed by lethal injection at the Arkansas State Penitentiary.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, there is help available. Reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org for confidential support.
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