Murder and Mimosas Podcast
A true crime podcast with a focus on lesser known crimes and the background of those who commit these heinous acts. Each case is told with a bit of southern sass, but with tons of in depth research and respect for those lost. Join this mom and daughter duo as they sip their mimosas while diving into tragic cases. New episodes every Saturday, just in time for brunch (and a mimosa of your own)!
Murder and Mimosas Podcast
The Christmas Killer: Unraveling the Ronald Gene Simmons Tragedy
What drives a man to commit one of the most heinous family crimes in U.S. history? We explore the chilling narrative of Ronald Gene Simmons, the so-called Christmas Killer, known for orchestrating Arkansas's largest mass murder. Tracing his life from a tumultuous upbringing through a troubled marriage to the horrific events of December 1987, we shed light on the sinister dynamics within the Simmons family, especially the harrowing experiences of his daughter Sheila. Her courageous escape, with her daughter Sylvia whom Simmons fathered, stands as a stark contrast to the oppression they once endured.
Step into the bleak reality of the Simmons' Arkansas homestead, where the family lived in isolation under Ronald's tyrannical rule. We paint a vivid picture of their harsh living conditions, illustrating how Ronald's control permeated every aspect of their lives, from keeping the children out of school to his troubling obsessions that led to repeated job dismissals. Amidst this chaos, the narrative reveals tales of resilience and survival, highlighting not only Sheila's escape but also shedding light on the complex web of trauma and control that defined their existence.
Finally, we reflect on the aftermath of Ronald's unimaginable crimes, pondering the implications of his unclaimed body and the emotional toll on surviving family members. With a blend of dark humor and solemnity, we question who, if anyone, would come forward to claim him, while considering the impact on those left behind. As we wrap up this haunting exploration, we invite listeners to connect with us on social media, continuing the conversation and sharing in stories of resilience amidst tragedy.
Sources:
https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/ronald-gene-simmons-3731/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Gene_Simmons
https://www.4029tv.com/article/ronald-gene-simmons-murders-arkansas/42308596
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/ZERO-AT-THE-BONE/Williams/9781501152504
Persons of InterestFrom murderers to money launderers, thieves to thugs – police officers from the...
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DarkCast Network. Welcome to the dark side of podcasting. Welcome to Murder and Mimosas a true crime podcast brought to you by a mother and daughter duo.
Speaker 2:Bringing you murder stories with a mimosa in hand. With a mimosa in hand, murder Mimosas is a true crime podcast, meaning we talk about adult matters such as murder, sexual assaults and other horrendous crimes. Listener discretion is advised. We do tell our stories with the victims and the victims families in mind. However, some information is more verifiable than others. However, you can find all of our information linked in the show notes. Welcome back to Murder and Mimosas. I'm Danica and I'm Shannon. This story is crazy. Mostly to us. It's probably crazy because it happened here in Arkansas and I hadn't heard of it until recently, but I would say overall it's kind of a crazy story, even if you're not from Arkansas. This is the story of Ronald Gene Simmons, who some refer to as the Crispus Killer. This man began a killing spree that began December 22nd 1987 and ended December 28th 1987. To this day, this is the largest mass murder in the history of Arkansas and the worst crime involving one family in the history of this country. So let's find out who he is and what exactly happened?
Speaker 1:Wow, that's also great to be known for in Arkansas, mm hmm.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so he was born in Chicago, illinois, in 1940 to William and Loretta Simmons, and his father unfortunately passed away when he was only three years old from a stroke, and I couldn't quite figure out how old his father was when he passed. But what, uh? But gene was young. His mother was married within a year to another man named william. She's very weird.
Speaker 1:That is so weird. Maybe it was a common name back then.
Speaker 2:I'm pretty sure it probably was.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so William no 2 was a civil engineer from the US Army Corps of Engineers, which the military meant that the family moved around quite a bit. So Ronald was a bully in school and he was expelled from a number of school before his parents decided to enroll him in military school and, surprisingly enough, he actually really excelled in military school. And then he was put back into civilian school and he began to have a hard time again and they dropped out at the age of 17 and decided to join the Navy and got stationed in Washington. So he meets 16-year-old Rebecca, or as most people called her, Becky, and the two begin dating when Ronald is deployed to New Mexico. The two were married when Ronald was just about to turn 20 and Becky was 19. So you know, they're young, they're in love, they're married.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:However.
Speaker 1:Young love.
Speaker 2:Once they're married, the honeymoon phase ends quite abruptly and Ronald shows his true colors. So he starts by cutting off Becky's contact with her family by restricting her phone and mail usage. He forbids her to wear makeup anymore, makes her cut off all of her beautiful, long black hair.
Speaker 1:So what year would this have been when they got married?
Speaker 2:1960.
Speaker 1:so from what we learned from brancing hugh's story is I don't want to say this was common behavior, but most people probably wouldn't have helped even if they knew about what was happening to her right, I mean just right off the bat.
Speaker 2:ronald is showing like a lot of the classic abusing signs, not to mention that she gets pregnant very quickly into their marriage, basically like right away, and they end up having seven children together over the course of many years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's so hard to leave when you have starving mouths to feed and no work, history and nowhere to go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean she got married as basically the moment that she became an adult. Now she's got seven children that she has to, you know, take care of. She, I'm sure, feels very stuck and she has no like support system, like family or friends. They say it takes a village and the girl's got almost a village of her own and kids. She needs a really big village in support and she has none Right. So Ronald was only in the Navy for two years, but he joined the Air Force and he ended up retiring after 18 years as a Master Sergeant, where, I would just like to mention, he received the Air Force ribbon for excellent marksmanship, not to brag on him but to say how scary he probably would be to his family. Right, yeah, that's scary, my man is skilled with a gun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, as I said, the couple has seven kids, and the abuse wasn't just aimed at that. This is something he seemed to like dish out to the whole family, except for his oldest daughter.
Speaker 1:Sheila. Of course I don't want to like anybody to suffer or anything, but why was Sheila spared?
Speaker 2:well, he had an affection, I guess you could say, for his daughter. No, affection is not the right word because that makes it sound sweet. Uh, I'm just gonna be blunt with it. He was molesting her. So, while she wasn't getting physically abused, she was getting abused. I don't know when it started exactly and really unsure why this kept her from like the physical abuse and I don't know why the other girls weren't molested like the whole. I don't want anyone to be abused, I don't want anyone to be most.
Speaker 1:I just don't understand, like you know, what, why I mean and like I mean I guess I wouldn't say sexually abusing her wife, but like I mean, like I mean if he's doing that to his daughter, like do you get some kind of special privilege or something. But so I also know you said this happened in Arkansas, which I want to point out that you have not said they lived here yet. So I know this stuff is what you hear about in Arkansas. I just want to throw it out there that they do not live in Arkansas as of yet, that I can hear. That they do not live in Arkansas as of yet, that I can hear.
Speaker 2:Yes, right, I didn't mention that his mother and stepfather moved in 1946 to Woodrock, arkansas, but of course was moved other times. But his journey will lead him back to Arkansas. So when Sheila, which is the oldest daughter, was 17 years old, ronald calls a family meeting and says that Sheila is pregnant with his child.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, no, I mean. This is so what people say of Arkansas. This is, oh my gosh, no yeah.
Speaker 2:He lets them know that they are going to restructure the family and that Sheila would be like a second wife now like sister wives.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I think I'm going to vomit. So are these kids homeschooled? I mean, they have to know this isn't normal and tell somebody right.
Speaker 2:Well, this is probably normal to them. They're shut off from other family members. They don't get to go to friends' houses. No one gets to come to theirs. Any type of person who does this will isolate them as much as possible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I get that. I mean you have to see shows or read books or their school. Eventually you have to know this house is really screwed up.
Speaker 2:I mean, of course, and I'm sure they had to know, but I mean you're already getting beaten at and I'm sure they had to know, but I mean you're already getting beaten at home, like you, I'm sure they're scared to say anything because they've been groomed and they're scared of, like, how bad the abuse will be if, like their dad, finds out what they told. But Ronald Jr, who they call Gene or Little Gene, is the oldest son, who would have been about 20 years old at this point. He contacts the guidance counselor at the school anonymously and told them about Sheila being pregnant, and while he doesn't come out and say it, he does heavily allude to who the father of the baby was said to be.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, Thank God he did this. I mean, did it help at all though?
Speaker 2:Well, at first, because I'm sure of fear right, sheila flat out denies she's pregnant to the guidance counselor. You know, like nope, I'm not pregnant, like whatever you heard is wrong. But this counselor is not taking that at face value and refuses to give up and starts having regular meetings with Sheila and after about a month she finally divulges that her father is also her baby's father.
Speaker 1:I don't know how big that school was, but if you have a good guidance counselor they know way more than you think. And I'm sure if she knew Sheila at all, she probably saw her around school and knew that a boyfriend was like not in the picture, not to mention the trust and relationship that this counselor had to build with her just to get that out of her. I mean she had to be so scared to even tell the counselor about this the counselor about this.
Speaker 2:I'm sure she was, because criminal charges were filed against Ronald not long after, but Sheila refused, flat out, denied to testify against him in any type of legal proceedings.
Speaker 1:So I would assume she was taken from the home for her safety and they or the other kids as well. But she had to still be terrified of him and not to mention their kids can be so cruel. So you don't want your peers finding out that you got like knocked up by your dad right.
Speaker 2:I mean that has to be like just full of shame and embarrassment. And you probably already feel shame because you're pregnant. You feel shame because you know like everything going on is not normal. But she had no control over it, right? But unfortunately, from what I could gather, none of the kids were removed from the home. I don't even know if they spoke to the other kids. Now, I'm not saying they didn't, I just can't say for sure if they did or did not. But if so, it's likely the kids kept their mouths shut because none of them were removed. Ronald still allowed the other kids to go to school, but he stopped letting Becky go to the grocery store alone anymore. I would have to assume that Sheila was in foster care or out of the home, because they later found letters written between the two of them that said she ruined his life and the happiness they found together. You have destroyed me and my trust in you. I will see you in hell.
Speaker 1:Wow, he is such a narcissist. It's all what she did to him. I mean the father that raped his daughter, I mean come on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and he doesn't ever go to jail. That I'm aware of. In fact, during all this is when he packs up and he moves his family to Arkansas. Yay, yeah, and I'm not sure how he got Sheila back, but even Sheila's with them when they moved to Arkansas with her new infant daughter. The only one left behind is the oldest son, Gene.
Speaker 1:So I would have to imagine, probably at this time Sheila had aged out of foster care and if she wanted to keep her daughter, she probably felt she didn't have any other choice but to go back to repeating the pattern that you so badly want to get out of.
Speaker 2:I do get that Like she probably felt like she had very few choices and she wants to raise her daughter and I can't say for sure what I would do in that situation, because it has to be hard Like this baby's grown in your belly for nine months, you have that motherly bond, but there's a side of me that's like I would rather give this baby a life it deserves and keep it away from this and never subject it to this kind of life.
Speaker 2:But when she's grown up with it from day one, she probably doesn't fully understand to the degree like us looking out gets like how totally screwed this whole situation is. So they actually lived in Ward, arkansas, for about two years. At that time Ronald worked odd jobs to pay the bills and for reasons that I could not find, they ended up moving to Dover, arkansas. And for a minute I just want to set a scene. You know I like to set a scene. You know I'm going to get thinkers that say let me set the scene. Okay, so it's a homestead, it's about 13 acres, and when I say homestead, that sounds so nice, it's two single-wide trailers that they like Frankenstein together to make one big trailer. There's zero indoor plumbing, but don't worry, because he had his children dig three cesspits for their bodily waste. Yeah, see, I told you homestead sounds nice oh wow I start saying stuff and it's not.
Speaker 2:He also had his children build a cinder block fence with barbed wire on so this sounds like a prison and there are prisons nicer than this. What are you talking about? Right, but let me infomercial you. You ready, but wait, there's more. There's no telephone I mean not like anyone would call no central heat nor air, and they were in a wooded area with a very long winding driveway full of ruts and it's very difficult to get in or out.
Speaker 1:Okay, now this sounds like people like what people expect from Arkansas when they describe people in Arkansas.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know this sounds like that, but I promise that's not how it is? No it isn't, yeah, no.
Speaker 1:So had Sheila left home or any others besides little gene or gene at this point?
Speaker 2:so no no one other than gene um and he, you know he stayed back when they moved to arkansas. While they are in like hiding in ward. For those two years, the school school age kids were not allowed to go to school and I would say I'm not clear on the reason, but I'm sure that a lot of it is like you know, the guidance counselor kind of got the ball rolling Right and so like I'm sure that he is fearful of that happening again. Yeah, However, once they moved to Dover, the kids were allowed to start attending school again.
Speaker 1:So I'm sure at this point they're like really behind in school.
Speaker 2:That's the thing, that's really odd is they weren't I don't know if they were homeschooled or just really smart, but they weren't behind socially. I mean not socially, academically. Socially though they were lacking, but that's to be expected, and even when they were going to school regularly, I'm sure they were behind socially because of the homeless that they knew yeah.
Speaker 1:So are they a survive? Like, how are they surviving? Is it on his pension from the military? Or do, like the ones that are old enough, have jobs?
Speaker 2:And so, since Ronald's trying to like lay low, he actually isn't drawing his pension from the military, because if he did, they'd know exactly where he lives. He had a series of jobs, but most of them he was fired from for sexual harassment. Would you believe it?
Speaker 1:So shocker, so well I will say, but that's odd because I mean for 20 years he did really well in the military, though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean true, but I would assume that, especially at that point in time, that it was mostly men back then and bullies don't really mess with people that can kick their butts, you know, women for men seem to be an easy target, and I feel like that's probably why his adult son was left behind. So he did get a job as a law clerk at Phil, eddie and Gibbons Law Firm in Russellville and at the time there was a receptionist there named Kathy that was roughly about the same age as Sheila, his oldest daughter and, unfortunately, second baby mama. So, as I mentioned before, he was fired from jobs for sexual harassment and he had some sort of weird obsession with Kathy to the point of like basically stalking her and then also like is unwanted sexual advances.
Speaker 1:So this is a law firm, though Like did, did she go to them and say anything at all?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and he was fired once again for sexual harassment.
Speaker 1:So I want to like, I want to say like that is what I do for a living is do unemployment hearing cases, and like I mean I realized this was the eighties, but like you can't just get fired without a lot of documentation and evidence of sexual harassment, like like I don't even know what this dude was doing, but it had to be a lot for him to keep getting fired from these jobs. I mean he's basically stopping her.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, so Sheila meets a man named Dennis. It had to be a lot for him to keep getting fired from these jobs. I mean, he's basically stopping her. Yeah, so Sheila meets a man named Dennis Mufnulti, who was nine years older than her.
Speaker 1:So did Sheila get a job? Or like, how did they meet? Okay, I'm not going to lie.
Speaker 2:Trying to figure this out was a bit fuzzy. I don't know how they met, but she starts dating him, like secretly behind her father's back, so that has to be weird and awkward.
Speaker 1:I mean a grown woman sneaking around. I mean he probably thought she's married or something. That's what I would have thought.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thinking about being a single grown woman with a child and you're like sneaking out of the house like a 16 year old. Yeah, yeah, for sure I'm sure it was a weird situation, but she actually told him about the hell she called home and about her daughter, sylvia, and that her father fathered sylvia.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I don't. Can you imagine even having to tell that story?
Speaker 2:I can't even but he was crazy for sheila and eventually the two of them eloped and took sylvia before ronald ever found out.
Speaker 1:So of course he can't even go to the police ronald can't and tell them that they took sylvia because he's on the run from them already.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's true, which probably works out very well for Sheila and her new husband, Right. Ronald gets another job at an accounts receivable clerk at Woodland Motor Freight and at some point a woman named Joyce Butts was given the task of being his supervisor.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I don't see this going well.
Speaker 2:I mean, he thinks women are beneath him and he can't stop with the sexual harassment and I just want to say it's a terrible last name, right for someone who goes after people or sexually a lot butts is not the name you want, and you would be correct, though he did not like having a woman in authority over him. They butted at the time, pun intended, yeah, and there was many times he was trying to like going over her head about pretty much everything. Plus, this is the 80s and I'm sure some men, especially the ones like ronald, had a really hard time with this. Well, he probably should have been fired. He ended up actually quitting his job and he got another job at Sinclair Gas Station stocking shelves, where he worked for about a year and a half for also quitting that job.
Speaker 1:Is there a cause for quitting that job? I mean, is there some crazy woman upsetting him, or what?
Speaker 2:We'll get into that in a minute like a little deeper. So we see funny memes of women sneaking in shopping bags from their husbands. But Gene set his mom up a secret post office box in town, so he and his now wife so that he and his now wife Wilma, her son Bill and his wife Renata or Sheila and Dennis could all talk to Becky privately.
Speaker 1:That's so sad she would have to do that, and it makes her blood boil at the same time.
Speaker 2:I know these some like stories sometimes really put things in perspective.
Speaker 4:Now Becky decided he wants to leave Ronald, but of course she doesn't know where to start.
Speaker 5:The only thing she does want before leaving is to have like one last family Christmas all together.
Speaker 1:I mean why this man would have to make life so miserable. I mean, let's celebrate once you're gone, and then we can have fun.
Speaker 2:Was your, my thoughts too, but she may not even remember what fun looks like or feels like here is actually a letter from Becky to her second older son, bill and this was written before Christmas of 1987.
Speaker 4:Dear Bill, renauda and Trey, I've been thinking of all you have said, bill, and I know you are right, and I don't want to live the rest of my life with Dad. But I'm still trying to figure out how to start. What if I couldn't find a job for some time? You have to remember I've never had a job since I've been married or before that either. I know I have to start somewhere. It would all be so much easier if it was just me, but I have three kids also. If you want to do any checking by telephone, go ahead and check and we can talk about it when you come. I've decided, if I borrow from mom, that I would have her send it to you. I'm still all very confused. Like I said, I know I don't want to stay with dad, but I don't want him getting any more than he deserves. Yet sometimes I feel God is telling me to be more patient. I'll just say do some checking and it will help make my decision. I would like for Loretta to move in with you after she turns 18. She wants to go to college and get a job too. I don't think San Antonio is the place for her.
Speaker 4:Little Jean and William are back together, but they want to try it out and try to come get Barbara. I'm sure enjoying Barbara. She is a sweet, lovable, polite little girl. She's a good girl. We all love her and enjoy her so much girl. She's a good girl. We all love her and enjoy her so much. She always has us laughing. I'm so proud of Trey. The last time you came Dad wanted to know how come you didn't stay long enough to see him too. Now that little Jean and William are back together, I wish they could move from San Antonio. Barbara needs both her parents. They have both been through so much. I hope it works out. I love them both. William wrote me a letter telling me she loves little Jane very much and she must. She went back to him.
Speaker 4:I'm sure she has been hurt deeply. I want to see all my children happy. I remembered a lot what you said, bill. I am a prisoner here, and the kids too. I know when I get out I might need help. I know when I get out I might need help. Dad has had me like a prisoner and that freedom might be hard for me to take. Yet I know it would be great having my children visit me anytime, having a telephone, going shopping if I want, going to church. Every time I think of freedom. I want out as soon as possible. I don't want to put any burden on my children and I think it's best while or before I get out. Before I'm too old I want out, but it's the beginning. Once I get a job and a place then I can handle it. With the mental support of my children I can do it.
Speaker 4:It was hard to talk in front of little Gene. He had been having it so hard and his problems were deeply in my mind. I felt so sorry for him. I was so afraid of what he might go back and do. You are lucky, bill. You have a very good wife. She has led you the right way and that is toward God. She is very pretty too. I always thank God for sending you a good wife. I am thankful for Dennis too. Give my darling Trey a lot of hugs and kisses from me. I love you all very much. Barbara gets bored if I take too long to write, so I hope I made sense in this letter. I hope Loretta can mail this Friday or Saturday on her way home. Love you very much, mom Go.
Speaker 1:So I have a few questions. I mean, who is Barbara and why is she there?
Speaker 2:That is Gene, or little Gene's daughter.
Speaker 1:He and his wife are having marital issues and sent barbara there while they deal with their issue okay, so that's what I was gathering, but in no way on earth would I send my child there. I mean, he knows what it's like there and he knows what his father does to little girls I know, I know, I, I have no nothing, I just, I just, I don't, I know.
Speaker 2:But we all want to make our moms proud, or most of us anyway, and all of our kids have agreed to come home for Christmas. Even Sheila, yeah, even Dennis, sheila and Sylvia are coming, but it will be the day after Christmas. So that's what they were shooting for. Now, december 22nd of 1987, ronald goes Christmas shopping at Walmart and he buys himself a revolver, because when your whole family's coming over one gift, you always needs a gun right. And the four children that are still living at home are at school.
Speaker 2:And little gene arrives home, he checks in on his sleeping daughter, barbara, and heads back down the hall when ronald begins beating him with a crowbar. Becky heard the awful sounds and went to see what the commotion was. He sees becky coming and he begins to now beat her with the crowbar, beating her profusely, and then shoots her in the back of the head with the revolver he had just bought. Now kids can sleep for a lot, but I would say most likely the sound of the gunshot woke sleeping three-year-old barbara. So he entered the room and he strangled his three-year-old little granddaughter. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:Now, at this point he takes all three of them, drags them to the cesspit where he covers them with gas, a tarp and cinder blocks. He cleans up well somewhat, he grabs some beer and rests until his school-age children arrived home. Now this part really gets me. He tells the kids that he and their mother have a Christmas surprise for them in the backyard. He got them one at a time, from oldest to youngest, so he led the 17-year-old Loretta to a rain barrel, held her head under the water, drowning her, and then threw her in the cesspool, or the cesspit as well.
Speaker 1:So I was wondering how he could do this one at a time. I mean, like if they had heard gunshots, like he did to Becky or anything, but I mean that really explains it. The sad thing is, if they heard anything at all, or you, what was coming? I mean, they don't have a plan, they don't have a phone, they live in the middle of nowhere. I mean, even if they knew what was coming, they can do nothing right.
Speaker 2:I hope that they were not sitting in there knowing what was coming.
Speaker 2:But next up was 14 year old Eddie and he was murdered in the same way as Loretta, as well as 11-year-old Mary Ann and then 8-year-old little Becky was too short to be dunked in the rain barrel, so instead he strangled her to death and then he disposed of all of their bodies in the cesspit. He strangled her to death and then he disposed of all of their bodies in the cesspit. I guess he's just hanging out and waiting for the rest of the family to come so he can finish off his whole family. So Billy and his family arrive on December 26, 1987 and Billy enters the home and as soon as he does, ronald shoots him with the revolver in the chest. Renata, I'm sure in utter shock, runs to billy where ronald shoots her in the head. Trey, who was not even two years old yet, is just standing there as he watched his parents be gunned down. Ronald then picks him up, carries him to the rain barrel outside where he dunks him in the rain barrel until he turns.
Speaker 1:I say I'm assuming he throws them on the cesspit too. I mean, this guy is freaking insane.
Speaker 2:Well, that was my thoughts, but actually no, he actually lines them up Billy, renata and Trey on the living room floor while he waits on Sheila and her family to arrive. Floor while he waits on Sheila and her family to arrive. So Dennis walks in, first holding Sylvia's hand, and she sees the bodies on the floor. He shot Dennis right away in the chest and then Sheila in the chest and by this time the couple had a child of their own, 21 month old Michael, that Ronald picks up and strangles.
Speaker 1:So Sylvia's alive watching all this in horror. I mean, like how old would she be at this time? Now?
Speaker 2:Yes, she is watching all of this and she's six years old by this time.
Speaker 1:And then, after everyone else is killed, Ronald strangles Sylvia to death as well, and this isn't like all the movies I mean like where you are dead in like seconds. I mean it takes a ball to strangle someone to death, so he's got to be looking at them and seeing the horror, the shock, betrayal, I mean like whatever it is they are feeling. And these little kids' eyes, and I mean this isn't even phasing him Right.
Speaker 2:I mean, but this man clearly doesn't have feelings. He lines Dennis and Sylvia up with the rest of the family on the floor, other than sheila, because he puts her on the kitchen table and then covers her with a tablecloth I mean that's odd.
Speaker 1:I mean like, is he giving her a higher honor or something? I don't even get that.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I don't want to be in the mind of this guy. To make it make sense, it's true. So he takes both toddler boys and wraps them in plastic and places each boy in their father's trunk and puts gases gas on the bodies in the trailer okay, so wait, like, where is wilma?
Speaker 1:I mean, I don't remember you mentioning her.
Speaker 5:Did you know one of the few things that Nostradamus correctly predicted was his own death? Did you know that only one professional baseball player has been killed while playing the game? What about the fact that one of the most poignant last words ever were spoken by a parrot? Each week, on Famous Last Words, we'll examine some of the final thoughts of some of the most fascinating people in history, from presidents to murderesses, from business innovators to teen pop icons. That's Famous Last Words, part of the Dark Cast Network available right now, wherever you get your podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2:I don't know what happened. Maybe they were on the outs again and she didn't come with little Jean. So she's actually the only one to survive. But her husband and children die, oh my gosh. So Ronald gets cleaned up and he heads to the bar for drinks because I'm sure killing all these people really took it out of him.
Speaker 2:The next day he sits around the house just chilling with his dead family that lie on the floor and on the table. Then, monday, december 28th of 1987, he goes to Walmart because he needs more bullets and, I assume, thinking more needed to die. So he heads to his old stomping grounds at Phil Eddie and Gibbons' law firm and he guns Kathy down by shooting her in the head. Ronald's in and out before anyone even knew who shot her. He then goes to the oil company he worked at briefly after the law firm and he starts shooting the place up. He guns down a trucker, jd Chapman, and then spots the owner of the oil company. He starts shooting.
Speaker 2:The noise is Ronald puts his gun to her head and she screams and begins to run. He shoots her but the bullet grazed her and she plays dead. Ronald then leaves. Before shooting anyone else, he thought he should head to the Sinclair gas station and you know, shoot whoever was there. He walks in and shoots Rebecca Worley in the chest. Thank God it ended up not being fatal. David Saller, the store manager, comes up to the front and he sees Ronald and throws a chair at him. David was still shot but, just like Rebecca, it ended up not being fatal.
Speaker 1:So, all right, I'm thankful that these people are survived. I mean, I remember that he received a ribbon for excellent marksmanship in the army, so the takedown of his family seemed like methodical. And this is all like Marvel loose canon now. I mean, I feel like if he wanted to take these people out, he could, if he was that good of a shot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm not sure what he's thinking or feeling during this time, but it's definitely not well planned out like before. So during all that, there is another person in the store, bill Mason, and he is stocking up the shelves and he starts to throw soda cans at Ronald, which saved his life, as well as the two other in the store, because instead of like staying around to finish off like the other two or even go after Bill, he leaves because he doesn't want to get hit with soda cans.
Speaker 1:So you know, this is wild.
Speaker 2:Whole thing's wild really, that's true, so I'm not going to lie. From start to finish, I feel like this whole thing is wild. Yeah, so he still, you know, has like someone on his like hit list of people he wants to do away with, so he heads to woodland motor freight woodline motor freight so I'm assuming it's joyce well, yeah, he walks through the building to joyce's office and he shoots joyce once in the head, once in the chest, and I know like that sounds fatal.
Speaker 2:If you were told that someone was shot in the head and the chest, you would just automatically assume they're dead. Right, she actually survived this. Now he locks himself in one of the offices and, lo and behold, there's a woman hiding in there, vicki Jackson, who's now his hostage. So he sits his gun down and even offers her his backup gun to put her more at ease.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry you're not putting me at ease.
Speaker 2:You are not putting me at ease, no, he tells her it's all over now and he wants her to call the police. He tells the police it's all over now, he's gotten everybody that wanted to hurt him and while he waits on the police, he attempts to make small talk with Vicky.
Speaker 1:Okay, you're not making small talk with me because I'm probably peeing my pants. I'm telling you start to finish. This whole thing's wild. But anyone that wanted to hurt him, he's the lunatic shooting people up. He's been the problem from the jump.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, take some accountability, sir, sir, no joke. So he was taken to a hospital for a psych evaluation.
Speaker 1:I don't know why he sounds he sounds, he sounds and he sounds so sane yeah, he wouldn't talk to the police about what he did.
Speaker 2:As I said at the beginning, to this day this is still the largest mass murder in the history of Arkansas and the worst crime involving one family in the history of this country, Like I mean because he killed the most people in his family for it to be the worst, or like what? Yeah, I guess I'm not 100 percent, but like that's just what I saw.
Speaker 1:I mean, yeah, that's a lot of people to kill in one family. I mean he has seven kids Like that's a lot of people to kill in one family I mean he has seven kids.
Speaker 2:Like that's a lot of people right there. And then you got like kids who were married and then also had kids, and it adds up your grandkids slash kids and um, it adds up, even if it's a little confusing yeah, it adds up.
Speaker 2:So he pled not guilty to all accounts but then turned around and would not assist his attorneys and his defense either, other than when the prosecution got letters out of his safety deposit box? Um that were to and from sheila, because he wanted those thrown out as well as his attorneys. Um. They weren't thrown out, though, and they? Um were used during the trial. Moth prosecution is reading letters of his undone undying love for his daughter. He attacks the attorney, the bailiff goes to get him off the attorney and he tries to take the bailiff's gun, but is then attacked by other officers so what?
Speaker 1:like a mass murderer and a pedophile, doesn't want you to read his intimate letters. That's like when he gets like no, no. But this is where I draw the line.
Speaker 2:I told her to the math ain't math. But I don't want to be in his brain to try to make it make sense, because like I don't, the dude's not all there, but you have to know that that is screwed up.
Speaker 1:It's like you're like, okay, don't read the letters that I wrote to my daughter, don't read these love letters to my daughter. You have to know you're screwed up, though. Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:For sure, but these are also like. Then he wrote letters to her saying it was all her fault and she ruined his life. I don't know. So he never talked to anyone about the comms and he just said he wanted to die.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm sure plenty of people wanted him dead.
Speaker 2:I mean, I'm just saying, sir, you had a gun, yeah, anyway, so on May 31st 1990, then Governor Bill Clinton signed his execution warrant, and he was executed June 25th 1990. No family members claimed his body, and so he was buried in a pauper's plot.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, he did kill his whole family. So I mean, who could claim him? And if he hadn't, who would want him?
Speaker 2:anyway, I mean, I guess he did have that one daughter-in-law, but like really yeah, I don't think I would claim my father-in-law's body after he killed my husband and my child. No, you can burn in hell. And I don't know about his sister. Like, I know he had a sister. But even if she was still alive, if I was her, I'd be like Ronald who, yeah, even if she was still alive, if I was her, I'd be like ronald who, yeah, me too, ronald mcdonald that's the only ronald I know, because, uh, I don't know that one.
Speaker 2:This dude is a clown anyway, while that happened over christmas, we hope that you have a killer christmas with no christmas killers. Oh my gosh, that was so bad, merry Christmas.
Speaker 1:We always recommend more bubbly and less OJ Cheers.
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