Dateline NBC episode The Hands Of A Killer explored the brutal murder of a former Arkansas senator about five years back. As per reports, Linda was found stabbed to death in her Pocahontas residence on June 4, 2019, shortly after she had returned from a trip to Washington, D.C.
She was unresponsive to calls and texts for almost a week, so her family decided to check on her. Eventually, Linda's father, Benny, and son Butch went up to her place. They found her lying dead in the driveway of her Arkansas house.
After investigation, Linda's best friend Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell's name came forward, who resorted to murder after the former came to know that she had been stealing money from her. The official synopsis of The Hands Of A Killer Reads:
"When former Arkansas State Senator Linda Collins is found fatally stabbed outside her home, detectives investigate if her murder is connected to her political career or her personal life; the victim's children speak out about the case."
Disclaimer: This article contains descriptions of murder. Viewer discretion is advised.
What happened to former Arkansas senator Linda Collins?
As per Dateline, former Arkansas senator Linda Collins was found dead by her family members on June 4, 2019. Her father, Benny, went on to check on her with her son Butch after she had been unresponsive to calls for some days.
They found the door locked, and no one answered on knocking. It seemed like no one was in the house. On further checking, they found a tarp near the driveway, and underneath was Linda's body.
Collin's son Butch Smith reportedly said in a statement to ABC News:
"I was the one that found my mother's body on June 4th 2019 at her home. She was lying face down wrapped in one of my old comforters and shoved under a tarp in her driveway. I will never not be able to see that picture burned into my brain."
According to Randolph County Sheriff Kevin Bell, it was really difficult to identify Linda Collins' body as it was in an advanced stage of decomposition. There were maggots and flies all around, and the body lay outside in the hot Arkansas summer for almost a week.
Who was convicted of Linda Collins' murder?
As per initial reports, Linda Collins died from multiple gunshot wounds. But it was eventually revealed that she died because of being stabbed several times all over her body.
When the investigators went through the CCTV footage near her house, they found Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell (Linda's best friend) lurking around her residence and removing cameras from various spots. She was also seen carrying a blood-stained knife and later tried to justify it as a kitchen knife she had used earlier.
Based on the primary investigation, Rebecca was arrested and sent to trial on the grounds of first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence.
She even tried to frame Linda's ex-husband, Phillip Smith, but eventually pleaded on August 6, 2020. According to ABC News, Rebecca said in a statement:
"I went to Linda’s house and I intentionally killed her and then hid the body."
What motive did Rebecca have to murder her friend?
According to Dateline, Rebecca murdered her friend due to financial reasons. As per Linda's son Butch's statements, Rebecca had stolen money from them, and after Linda discovered it, the former could not handle the pressure and ended up killing her friend.
Further dive into the case revealed records of investment in two different businesses in 2018 through gold and silver. As mentioned by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Philip Smith reported that Collins owned gold and silver worth $24,000 - the same as the valuation of a divorce decree between Linda and Philip.
According to an affidavit for a search warrant application:
"Rebecca O’Donnell also stated that she has forged the signature of Linda Collins Smith numerous times while filling out checks from the bank account of Linda Collins Smith. It is reasonable to conclude that banking documents such as checks, receipts and other financial records are kept in the home and since Ms. O’Donnell has admitted to forging checks on the Linda Collins Smith account evidence related to those transactions could be located in the O’Donnell residence."
A notice was filed to the Randolph Circuit County Court mentioning the motive of murder as pecuniary gain as well as evasion of arrest. Rebecca thus got 50 years of imprisonment and is currently held at the Interstate Compacts Unit, Arkansas Department of Corrections.
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