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On June 4, 2019, State Senator Linda Collins, found stabbed to death outside her home, the small town of Pocahontas, Arkansas was shaken by the discovery. The 57-year-old Republican, known for her conservative legislative efforts, had been murdered days earlier, on May 28, 2019, in a crime that stunned her community and family. Her son, Butch Smith, and father, Benny Collins, found her wrapped in a blanket under a tarp in her driveway, sparking a high-profile investigation.
The case was first explored in the Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 15, episode Who Killed Conservative Arkansas State Senator Linda Collins? revealed a shocking betrayal by her close friend and former campaign aide, Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell. The episode is going to re-air on 6 August 2025.
Linda Collins’ background and political career
Linda F. Collins, born April 17, 1962, in Pocahontas, Arkansas, grew up in poverty in Williford, without running water until her teens. A businesswoman and politician, she served as a Republican Arkansas State Senator from 2015 to 2019, after a term in the Arkansas House (2011–2013) as a Democrat before switching parties.
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Known for conservative policies, she introduced the Arkansas Physical Privacy and Safety Act in 2017, aiming to restrict restroom access based on biological sex, and the True Campus Carry Act to allow concealed carry on college campuses—both unsuccessful. Linda Collins clashed with Governor Asa Hutchinson over Medicaid expansion and lost her 2018 Senate re-election to James Sturch, as per the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
She was married to Philip Smith, a disgraced judge, until their 2018 divorce, which involved disputes over $2 million in assets. Linda Collins had two children, Butch Smith and Tate Williams, and three grandchildren. After losing her seat, she returned to Pocahontas, seeking new opportunities, including a trip to Washington, D.C., before her death, as per ABC News.
The murder and discovery of Linda Collins
On May 28, 2019, Linda Collins was stabbed to death in her Pocahontas home. Her body remained undiscovered until June 4, when her son, Butch Smith, and father, Benny Collins, conducted a wellness check after she was unresponsive for nearly a week. They found her car in the driveway, but no answer at the door. In the driveway, Butch discovered a tarp weighed down by a brick, covering Collins’ body, which was wrapped in a blanket and in an advanced state of decomposition due to the summer heat, as per ABC News.
The gruesome scene included blood in the kitchen and a Clorox bottle with apparent blood smears, suggesting an attempt to clean the crime scene. Initially, reports suggested gunshot wounds, but authorities confirmed multiple stab wounds as the cause of death, as per ABC News.
The discovery, detailed in Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, prompted an immediate investigation by the Arkansas State Police and Randolph County Sheriff’s Department, with questions arising about whether the murder was linked to her political or personal life.
Investigation and Evidence
The investigation quickly focused on Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell, a 48-year-old former campaign aide and close friend of Linda Collins. Arrested on June 14, 2019, during a traffic stop, O’Donnell faced charges of capital murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with physical evidence, according to ABC News. Key evidence came from Collins’ ARLO security cameras, which captured O’Donnell holding a blood-covered knife inside the home on May 28 and removing cameras to conceal the crime.
Some footage survived on a digital backup, despite attempts to delete it. Investigators uncovered a financial motive: O’Donnell had been forging checks and stealing from a hotel co-owned with Collins. Butch Smith noted O’Donnell snapped when confronted about the theft. While in jail, O’Donnell attempted a murder-for-hire plot against Collins’ ex-husband, Phil Smith, offering gold and silver as payment, leading to additional solicitation charges, as per Kait8.
Legal proceedings and outcome
O’Donnell initially pleaded not guilty to capital murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with physical evidence, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. On August 6, 2020, she changed her plea to guilty for first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in Randolph County, admitting, “I went to Linda’s house and I intentionally killed her and then hid the body.”
She also pleaded “no contest” to two counts of solicitation to commit capital murder in Jackson County for the murder-for-hire plot. O’Donnell was sentenced to 50 years in prison: 40 years for murder, 3 years for corpse abuse, and 7 years per solicitation charge (concurrent). She is held in the Interstate Compacts Unit of the Arkansas Department of Corrections, as per ABC News.
Court records, unsealed in December 2021 after a media lawsuit, provided further details, including 911 calls and evidence of financial misconduct.
Impact on family and community
The murder deeply affected Linda Collins’ family and Pocahontas. Butch Smith, who found his mother’s body, described the trauma of the decomposed state, while Tate Williams recounted the betrayal of O’Donnell hugging them at the police station post-murder. The family initially suspected Phil Smith due to the contentious divorce, but accepted his clearance after evidence pointed to O’Donnell.
The community was shocked by the betrayal, as O’Donnell and Collins were described as “like sisters,” having worked closely on campaigns and business ventures. The case fueled brief speculation of political motives, especially after another ex-senator died in Oklahoma, but investigators confirmed a personal, financial motive.
Watch the episode on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on August 6, 2025.
