Episode 645: Ronald Gene Simmons Part I - A Difficult Man | Last Podcast On The Left Brief

Key Takeaways

Ronald Gene Simmons, America's deadliest familicide killer, was driven by an obsessive need for control.
In December 1987, Simmons murdered 14 family members before embarking on a shooting spree that killed four and injured two.
From childhood, Simmons exhibited psychopathic traits including jealousy, a need for control, and an inability to be questioned.
His 20-year military career provided authority, but he maintained extreme control over his family, escalating to verbal and physical abuse of his wife.
Simmons committed incestuous acts with his daughter and forced his children into labor on a failed farm, ultimately leading to family defiance.

Ronald Gene Simmons, a 20-year military veteran, was responsible for the 'Arkansas Christmas Massacre' in December 1987.
He murdered 14 family members over one week, driven by a desire for control as relatives distanced themselves.
On December 28, 1987, Simmons went on a subsequent shooting spree, killing four people and injuring two others.
His targets were individuals he perceived had wronged him or impacted his personal life.

The hosts cite 'Rampage' by Jim Moore and 'Zero at the Bone' by Bryce Marshall and Paul Williams as key sources, noting the sensationalized nature of 90s true crime books.
Familicides occur approximately every five days in the United States.
The hosts also discussed the rise of mass shootings in America, suggesting a correlation with the creation of the internet.

Ronald Gene Simmons was born in Chicago in 1940; his father, William Simmons, died early.
After his mother remarried William Griffin, Ronald displayed early contrarian behavior, calling his stepfather 'Dad Griffin'.
Described as a 'miserable little fuck' from birth, he exhibited jealousy and a need for control, particularly towards his younger half-brother, Peter Griffin.
Simmons threw tantrums, was immune to physical punishment, and bullied his stepfather and mother, exacerbating their health issues.

Unable to graduate high school due to job responsibilities and refusal to do schoolwork, Simmons later obtained his GED.
After an incident at a busboy job, he joined the Navy, where his 20-year military career provided him with desired authority and a sense of importance through administrative work.
Following 18 months in Guam, he returned as a confident sailor but remained socially awkward, drinking beer alone and avoiding liquor due to fear of losing control.

After marrying Becky Ulibari in 1960, Ronald Gene Simmons began verbally abusing her, preventing phone calls, reading her mail, and refusing to let her learn to drive.
He aimed to foster dependency, denying a home telephone and intercepting mail.
His brother-in-law described Simmons as 'odd' in Norfolk, Virginia, noting his obsession with facts and trivia, which he used to assert intellectual superiority and become irritated if challenged.

An obsessive patriot, Simmons volunteered for service in Vietnam in 1966, requesting a station in Saigon with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI).
His OSI role involved internal affairs, investigating activities such as black market contraband rings and the selling of secrets.
This position allowed him to make others' lives difficult in a challenging war environment, akin to an internal affairs officer focused on enforcing rules.
Despite promotions, Simmons's evaluations noted he did not get along with others, often leading to jobs for individuals who preferred not to be liked.

After experiencing the Tet Offensive, Simmons developed a fascination with firearms, becoming an exceptionally skilled shooter.
His meticulous nature did not prevent his request for a D.C. posting from being denied by the OSI, leading the Air Force to view him as a difficult employee whose usefulness had expired.
A demotion coincided with his assignment to England in 1973, where his wife gave birth to their fifth child.
Following this demotion, Simmons began physically abusing his wife, Becky, escalating the abuse whenever she demanded driving lessons or made perceived household mistakes.

In 1975, Simmons was assigned to a satellite base in New Mexico, near Alamogordo, achieving the rank of Master Sergeant, which inflated his ego despite the facility nearing closure.
Upon arrival, he meticulously detailed shortcomings of their rental house in a four-page list, reflecting his controlling nature.
Simmons demonstrated an obsessive need for control, evidenced by his meticulous cataloging of everyday expenses, military orders, financial records, and contracts, a behavior compared to the controlling father in 'Sleeping with the Enemy'.

After retiring from the Air Force in 1979, Simmons used $67,000 in savings to purchase remote land in New Mexico, envisioning a self-sustaining farm for his growing family of six children.
He harbored racist views, feared 'race mixing' and drugs, and distrusted scientific advancements like vaccines, a mentality described as a precursor to 'chemtrail' theories.
Simmons viewed his children as a labor force, subjecting them to intense labor akin to 'concentration camp work', clearing rocks and mixing mortar, which isolated them and hindered their schooling.
In 1978, his eldest son, Gene Jr., resisted the forced labor and was severely beaten before running away, foreshadowing the later massacre.
Simmons also sexually abused his daughter, Sheila, and pressured his wife, Becky, to continue having children, even forcing her to remove an IUD, leading to the birth of their seventh child, Becky Jr., in 1979.