Arkansas boasts numerous lakes and rivers, renowned hot springs, a diamond mine, and a variety of agricultural products. With its rich history and stunning natural landscapes, this state provides a wide array of experiences. However, the state of Arkansas has a dark side too, and is home to some of the most deranged serial killers. In this article, we will take a look at the 5 most famous serial killers from Arkansas.
Mark Alan Smith
Mark Alan Smith is an American serial killer responsible for killing at least four women in Arkansas and Illinois during the 1960s. He was arrested and sentenced to life without parole in Arkansas and 500 years imprisonment for three of the deaths in Illinois. Authorities believe he could be involved in other murders, both in the USA and Germany.
Born June 27, 1949, Mark Alan Smith exhibited violent tendencies from childhood. His criminal record includes assaulting classmates and stabbing a playmate. In 1966, he joined the army, where he faced a court-martial for attacking African-American colleagues.
Smith’s murder spree began in 1969 when he r*ped and killed Obie Fay Ash. He continued by s*xually assaulting and murdering Jean Bianchi in 1970 and later assaulting Janice Bolyard. He brutally r*ped and murdered Jean Ann Lingenfelter in 1970.
Smith later confessed to killing between three and eight women in West Germany during his military service. Despite this, he was sentenced to 500 years imprisonment for the Illinois murders in 1971. Smith later authored a book detailing his crimes. He claims rehabilitation but remains incarcerated in Pontiac.
James Waybern Hall
James Waybern Hall, an American serial killer, brutally ended the lives of four individuals, including his wife, in Arkansas from 1944 to 1945. During the trial. he confessed to killing at least 24 people but was not sentenced for those murders.
Drafted into the Navy in 1943, Hall’s attempts to evade service led to his dishonorable discharge after just eight weeks of training. He married Fayrene Clemmons in Little Rock on March 14, 1944, but their tumultuous relationship was marked by a brief separation in June. Fayrene vanished on September 28, and while the police initially considered her a probable runaway, evidence suggested a more sinister fate.
Further violence followed in a grim sequence. On January 29, 1945, loggers stumbled upon an abandoned car with a deceased man, identified as Carl Hamilton, behind the wheel. Subsequent murders occurred, and each victim was found in their car with a gunshot wound. James Hall came under suspicion and was finally apprehended on March 15, 1945. After confessing to his crimes, he led authorities to Fayrene’s burial site. He was convicted and sentenced to death in May 1945, On January 4, 1946, Hall was executed in the electric chair.
Ronald Gene Simmons Sr.
Ronald Gene Simmons Sr. was an American serial killer and a retired United States Air Force sergeant, who committed a heinous act, taking the lives of sixteen individuals, with fourteen being his own family members. Simmons made a horrifying decision to annihilate his entire family during the days leading up to Christmas in 1987.
In a chillingly systematic manner, he executed 14 family members: 6 daughters, 3 sons, 2 grandsons, 1 son-in-law, 1 daughter-in-law, and his wife. This disturbing killing spree commenced on December 22, 1987, starting with the murder of his son Gene and his wife Rebecca.
Simmons continued this spree, ending the lives of all his family members, and also took two unrelated lives by December 28, 1987. On June 25, 1990, Simmons was administered a lethal injection as punishment for his crimes after he chose not to appeal his sentence.
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Mark Edward Gardner
Mark Gardner, aged 43, was a murderer executed through lethal injection on September 8, 1999, by the State of Arkansas. He was convicted on three counts of murder for the December 12, 1985 killings of Joe and Martha Joyce, as well as the r*pe and murder of their daughter, Sara Joyce McCurdy, in Sebastian County, Arkansas.
The family was brutally tied and suffocated with tape over their mouths and noses, with Martha found a wire hanger around her neck. Their house was ransacked, and possessions were stolen. Gardner was with jewelry belonging to the family and confessing to killing a man in New York State. During his trial, he claimed “demons” drove him. Gardner’s last meal comprised fried shrimp, grilled salmon, salad, chocolate cake, and Coke.
Clay King Smith
Clay King-Smith was a mass murderer responsible for five deaths in the state of Arkansas. He was executed by the State of Arkansas on March 25, 1998, for four counts of murder.
After Smith’s girlfriend, Misty Erwin reported his physical abuse and sought police help to leave their home, she inexplicably retracted her complaint and chose to stay with him. However, just two days later, Misty’s dead body was discovered inside the house along with the bodies of her cousin, two young children, and a babysitter. All of them had been fatally shot with a rifle.
Soon after, Smith was arrested following a shootout with the police. He waived appeals, expressing remorse in letters to victims’ families. In his final statement before execution, he apologized to the families and affirmed his love for his own family.
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