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The murder of Linda Collins, the former Arkansas Senator, hit the national headlines in 2019 when her family found her brutally stabbed at her Pocahontas home. Linda had just returned from a trip to Washington D.C. when she met with her fate.
The investigations led to the arrest of her best friend and campaign worker, Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell. The Dateline episode titled The Hands of a Killer showcases the brutal murder of Linda Collins as the episode airs on NBC on July 12, 2024, at 9 pm EST. The official synopsis 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."
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Five details about Linda Collins' murder explored
1) Linda Collins was found dead in her Pocahontas home on June 4, 2019
Linda Collins had returned from a job hunting trip to Washington D.C. when she was found dead in her Arkansas home, per NBC News. Collins had been unresponsive over texts and calls for almost a week when her family decided to visit her to check in on her.
Linda had spoken to her daughter, Heather Tate Williams, on May 27, 2019. A few days later, Linda's son, Butch, paid a visit to her home to find her car parked in the driveway. However, her doorbell went unanswered. Linda's father, Benny, and Butch visited her home the next day to find a blood stain in the kitchen before they discovered her body in the driveway.
2) Linda Collins was a former Arkansas State Senator
Linda Collins served as an Arkansas State Senator for a single term from 2014 to 2018. She was a one-term member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013, representing District 80. Eight months into taking office, Linda switched parties in August 2011.
She was a member of the Arkansas Federation of Republican Women, Arkansas Chamber of Commerce, Lower Mississippi Delta Development Council, and National Rifle Association. Linda founded the Randolph County Tourism Association as well.
3) Collins' body was found in an advanced state of decomposition
Butch Smith and Benny Collins encountered a foul smell when they reached the driveway of Linda Collins' house.
According to ABC News, Collins' son, Butch Smith, said in a statement:
"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."
Randolph County Sheriff Kevin Bell mentioned in a news conference that the body was in such an advanced state of decomposition that it made identification difficult. The body had maggots and flies on it and was left outside for about a week in the hot Arkansas summer.
4) Rebecca O'Donnell was caught on surveillance cameras with a bloody knife
The media outlets initially reported Linda Collins' murder to be due to gunshot wounds. However, it was later determined that she had died from multiple stab wounds on her body. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that the security footage recovered from Linda's residence showcased Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell removing the cameras.
The key piece of detail in the footage was that she was holding a bloody knife in the videos and tried to justify the act saying that she had cut chicken for a dish she had been preparing for Collins, per K8 News.
5) Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell was sentenced to 50 years in prison
Episode 21 of season 30 brings to light the trial that Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell faced on charges of capital murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. She initially pleaded not guilty and tried to frame Linda's ex-husband, Philip Smith, for the murder.
However, she took a plea deal on August 6, 2020, and admitted to murdering Linda, per Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. She was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
The episode was originally aired on April 8, 2022. Catch all the details about Collins' murder as the Dateline episode airs on NBC on Friday.
