Ronald Gene Simmons lived quietly in Arkansas throughout the 1980s, keeping mostly to himself and his large family. Outwardly, he appeared to be living a simple life in the country—but behind closed doors was a world shaped by control, fear, and long-term abuse.

In December of 1987, during the week of Christmas, the darkness inside the Simmons home finally erupted. What unfolded became the largest family mass murder in American history. In this episode, we walk through the days leading up to the killings, the psychological unraveling that no one around him fully saw, and the series of violent attacks that shocked the entire state of Arkansas.

🎧 Credits

Hosts: Darlene Hildreth & Melody Gwyn

Male Narrator: Curtis Hildreth

Original Music: Isaiah Hildreth

Produced by: Hard Times and True Crimes Podcast

Find us on Facebook & Instagram: @HardTimesAndTrueCrimes

Sources for This Episode Include:

•Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Archives

•United Press International (UPI) Reports

•Associated Press Coverage, 1987–1990

•State of Arkansas v. Ronald Gene Simmons Court Documents

•Encyclopedia of Arkansas – “Ronald Gene Simmons”

•Time Magazine Archive: “Christmas Killings in Arkansas”

•Academic Analyses on Family Annihilators & Spree Killers

•Local Arkansas retrospective reports and interviews

• newspapers.com
• crime library.org
• findagrave.com

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