On This Day

Ronald Gene Simmons kills 2 former employers and wounds 4 in a shooting spree and surrenders to police; later bodies of

Ronald Gene Simmons kills 2 former employers and wounds 4 in a shooting spree and surrenders to police; later bodies of 14 of his relatives he had murdered are found at his home near Dover, Arkansas

Ronald Gene Simmons Sr. (July 15, 1940 – June 25, 1990) was an American spree killer and former military serviceman who murdered 16 people, including 14 members of his own family, over a week in December 1987 in Arkansas. The killings, considered the deadliest case of familicide in United States history, occurred at his home near Dover and later at a nearby law office, convenience store, and workplace. Simmons served more than 20 years in the U.S. Navy and Air Force before retiring. He was convicted and sentenced to death, waived all appeals, and was executed by lethal injection in 1990, becoming the first person executed by that method in Arkansas.

Among the victims were his daughter, whom he had sexually abused, and the child he fathered with her.

Historical Significance

Ronald Gene Simmons Sr.

Events Before

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  2. Bill Veeck dies

    Bill Veeck baseball executive, known for american baseball executive, died on 1986-01-02. William Louis Veeck Jr.

  3. Aruba gains independence from the Netherlands Antilles

    The Netherlands Antilles was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

  4. Inaugural class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Chuck Berry; James Brown; Ray Charles; Sam Cooke; Fats Domino

    Inaugural class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Chuck Berry; James Brown; Ray Charles; Sam Cooke; Fats Domino; The Everly Brothers; Buddy Holly; Jerry Lee Lewis; Elvis Presley; Little Richard; Robert Johnson; Jimmie Rodgers; Jimmy Yancey; Alan Freed; John Hammond; and Sam Phillips

  5. Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, includin

    Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, including Christa McAuliffe, who was to be the first teacher in space

Events After

  1. Czech-born tennis star Hana Mandlíková becomes an Australian Citizen

    Czech-born tennis star Hana Mandlíková becomes an Australian Citizen

  2. English Earl of St Andrews George Windsor marries Canadian academic Sylvana Tomaselli

    English Earl of St Andrews George Windsor marries Canadian academic Sylvana Tomaselli

  3. Panamanian General Manuel Noriega is indicted by a US federal grand jury for drug trafficking and racketeering

    Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno was a Panamanian military officer and politician who was the de facto ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989.

  4. The Soviet Union begins withdrawing its 115,000 troops from Afghanistan

    The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, later known as the Republic of Afghanistan, was the Afghan state from 1978 to 1992.

  5. Britain's Parliament passes Section 28 as law prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality. Repealed in 2001/2004.

    Section 28 refers to a part of the Local Government Act 1988, which stated that local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material...

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 28, 1987?
Ronald Gene Simmons Sr. (July 15, 1940 – June 25, 1990) was an American spree killer and former military serviceman who murdered 16 people, including 14 members of his own family, over a week in December 1987 in Arkansas. The killings, considered the deadliest case of familicide in United States history, occurred at his home near Dover and later at a nearby law office, convenience store, and workplace.
Why is Ronald Gene Simmons kills 2 former employers and wounds 4 in a shooting spree... significant?
Ronald Gene Simmons Sr.

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