Obeying Evil
The Mockingbird Hill Massacre Through the Eyes of a Killer
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Obeying Evil
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Narrated by:
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Steve White
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By:
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Ryan Green
About this listen
Obeying Evil presents the shocking true story of Ronald Gene Simmons and the most disturbing family killing spree in the United States. Over the course of a week in 1987, he murdered 14 members of his own family, a former co-worker, and a stranger.
In 1979, Simmons retired as an Air Force Master Sergeant following 20 years of service. The instability that followed his military days exacerbated his desire for control over his family. Simmons used intimidation, humiliation, and violence to assert dominance over all but one of his family members. He allowed a softer side to surface for his favorite daughter, Shelia, whom he forced into an incestuous relationship, and eventually fathered her child.
His need for total control led to isolation within his family and an inability to hold down a job. His frustration grew to untold levels when Sheila left the family home and married another man. With his plans in ruin and his grip softening, Simmons surprisingly supported his family's desire for a big Christmas celebration. The stage was set for a heartwarming reunion, but he had laid a very different set of plans.
Obeying Evil portrays the Mockingbird Hill Massacre from the perspective of Ronald Gene Simmons. It's a shocking true story about dominance, intimidation, and extreme violence.
If you are especially sensitive to accounts of the suffering of children, it might be advisable not to listen any further.
If, however, you seek to understand the darker side of human nature by coming face to face with it, then this audiobook is written for you.
©2017 Ryan Green (P)2017 Ryan GreenListeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about Obeying Evil
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- timj26
- 06-03-19
Excellent
Ryan green never disappoints
A brutal story of a mans revenge on the people he thinks betrayed him
Steve’s narration is fantastic like always highly recommended
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kimberly Smith
- 10-14-17
Good book about a horrible incident
This book is very interesting and well written. The narration was great. However, parts of this book were not easy to listen to because of the tragic story. I received a review copy at my request and voluntarily reviewed.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Customer
- 02-11-20
Super Scary
This true story of a parent turned killer really examines the mind of a killer. Sometimes we say we just want to know... What were they thinking? It's hard to say, but this author, in my opinion, reveals the inner depths of a killer and his family. Heartbreaking and truly scary.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- TinkerMel
- 09-16-17
real life horror- A boogie man
wow, this book was intense. it was so well written, it reads like a fiction novel. its hard to believe that its true. how can someone be this evil? this cruel? this twisted?
If you like True Crime, this is a must read. a look into a killers mind.
Ryan Green, did an outstanding job reading this story.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Victoria Haugen
- 07-09-18
SURE IS EVIL, ALL RIGHT! GREAT BOOK!
Just when you think reality can't get any more horrific or gruesome (and this is coming from a certified true crime addict!), you read this. VERY well-written story of a really messed up dude. Total psychopath! Reality is stranger than fiction, most times. Enjoyed the story and the narration. I really think both author and narrator did an excellent job, and I'd definitely recommend it, but you'll need a thick skin... Good stuff.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- jstep
- 12-05-17
The story of a true psychopath...
Ronald Gene Simmons should have been a kind, respected military man. At least that's what you would think of a man who had done a stint in the Marines and retired from the Air Force after 20 years as a Master Sargent. Instead, he was a monster. Have you seen American Psycho with Christian Bale? Remember how cold and calculating he was? Ronald Simmons was the same way. Unfortunately, his wife, their seven children and grandkids would pay the price. All in all, he killed 16 of the 20 people that he attacked when he finally snapped. This is the story of Ronald Simmons and everything that led up to the massacre that occurred in 1987. Oh, and did I mention that he had been having a relationship with his eldest daughter, one which produced a child? Yikes.
Steve White did a good job with the narration and Ryan Green wrote a good, solid, factual narration of of Ronald Gene Simmons and what drove him to that day near Christmas in 1987 when he went on his killing rampage. This is a fact-based story, and it is told as such. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jason Begly
- 09-22-17
Sometimes reality is worse
Any additional comments?
This was a crazy story that happens to be true. It is hard to understand the reasons for some of the actions in the tale. It progressed into utter madness like a Stephen King novel... and it really happened. The narration by Steve White was good. I got a bit turned around with all the names being thrown around, that is maybe the one thing I would change... how the situations and people present were introduced. Other than that I enjoyed it as much as I could.
This book was given to me for free at my request for my voluntary and unbiased review.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stephanie Cox
- 02-02-21
Moment to Moment
If you like true crime and you like detailed writing then you will enjoy this book. Well written and keeps you wanting to know more. Each time I went into work I was thinking about what might happen next. The fact that this happened in real life and that such a person could think in this way is eye opening. Life is never guaranteed tomorrow!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Maggie C
- 06-30-19
Extremely shocking story from an excellent writer
I’ve been on a binge of listening to true crime audiobooks and podcasts, so the opportunity to listen to and review Obeying Evil was attractive to me. I had heard of Ronald Gene Simmons a bit here and there, but I hadn’t seen or listened to anything in depth about him before this book. I’m always looking for new content to examine so this looked perfect for me.
The first thing I noticed was that this was a much shorter audiobook than I was used to – 3 hours. By contrast, an audiobook I had recently listened to about BTK was around 11 hours long. I was a bit worried at first, thinking that this would skip a lot of detail and wouldn’t be worth my time, but I still decided to try it out.
I was completely wrong. Somehow, Ryan Green manages to make those 3 hours last forever. He packs so much detail and information into that time – it’s amazing. I think I listened to this one over the course of one day because I just couldn’t stop listening – I had to learn what happened next. This is where not knowing the details behind this case is a good thing, as all of these details were brand new to me so I didn’t feel like I was rehearing the same details over and over.
This is also not just the usual retelling of a case, telling us about Simmons’ life, what led to him being such a sick person, his wife’s upbringing, and so on. Again, I don’t know how Green did this, but he had a first person view of both Simmons’ and his wife’s thoughts. I presume this may have come from Simmons’ own testimony and letters found from and to various family members. As a listener, you are plunged into the depravity of this man’s actions and the terrible things he did to others, starting well before the actual deaths took place.
Every time I listen to another true crime audiobook or podcast, I think I’m hearing about the absolute worst of human behavior. Then I listen to another one, and experience a new low. I have listened to a few things since Obeying Evil, and still nothing has come close to Simmons’ actions.
Steven White’s narration is spot on in this rendition. I think he struck a good balance between telling the story and adding some emotion into the characters. Again, the fact that the book is not the usual true crime retelling helps set the tone for the narrator, but I still enjoyed White’s performance.
I do warn that if you are new to true crime stories, I wouldn’t start with this one. I am by no means new to any of the usual stories, and I was still shocked. I do think Obeying Evil was worth the listen, but maybe after reading about some other killers first.
While shocking and overwhelmingly sad, Obeying Evil by Ryan Green tells the details of Ronald Gene Simmons’ life and killings thoroughly, with plenty of facts and also emotion. I highly recommend this book and will be seeking out other true crime books and audiobooks by Green.
I received a free copy of this audiobook in order to provide a review. All thoughts are my own.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- mandy
- 09-23-17
Fantastic!
This audio book gave me nightmares. Extremely well written with fantastic narration - I was hooked on this story. Honestly, I lost sleep over this story and shouldn't have listened to it before bed - it's crazy that this is about a real person and not some crazy fictional character. I highly recommend this audio to anyone who loves true crime.
** A copy of this audio book was provided in exchange for an honest review**
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