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The Gee Family Murders
● Case Closed
Family Homicide
Beason, Logan County, Illinois
September 21, 2009
5 Killed, 1 Survived
01
The Fallen
Victim Information
The family photo below depicts, left to right: Dillen Constant, Austin Gee, Rick Gee, Justina Constant, Nicole Gee, and Tabitha Gee. Nicole Gee was not present at the home on the night of the murders and survived. Tabitha Gee, age 3, was beaten but survived. The child in the center of the photograph, Jessica Gee, passed away prior to the murders and is remembered alongside her family.
Left to right: Dillen Constant, Austin Gee, Rick Gee, Justina Constant, Nicole Gee, Tabitha Gee — Jessica Gee (center) passed away prior to the murders
Victim, Age 46
Raymond "Rick" Gee
Raymond "Rick" Gee was 46 years old and the patriarch of the Gee family in Beason, Illinois. He lived in the small rural community with his wife Ruth and their children. He was the father of Nicole Gee from a prior relationship and had built a family in Beason that was known throughout the close-knit town. Rick was killed in the home he shared with his family on the night of September 21, 2009.
Victim, Age 39
Ruth Ann Gee
Ruth Ann Gee was 39 years old. She was Rick Gee's wife and the mother of Justina and Dillen Constant from a prior relationship, as well as Austin and Tabitha Gee. Ruth was at the center of her family and her home. She was killed alongside her husband and three of her children on the night of September 21, 2009. Her youngest daughter Tabitha survived.
Victim, Age 16
Justina Constant
Justina Constant was 16 years old and Ruth Gee's daughter from a prior relationship. She was a teenager living in the family home in Beason. Court documents established that she was a specific target of the attack; the indictment alleged that the Harris brothers entered the home intending to sexually assault her. She was killed along with her mother, stepfather, and siblings. She was 16 years old.
Victim, Age 14
Dillen Constant
Dillen Constant was 14 years old and Ruth Gee's son from a prior relationship. He was Justina's younger brother and was living in the family home at the time of the attack. Christopher Harris, in his trial defense, falsely claimed that Dillen had been the perpetrator of the killings and that Harris killed him in self-defense. The jury rejected this account entirely. Dillen was killed in the family home on the night of September 21, 2009.
Victim, Age 11
Austin Gee
Austin Gee was 11 years old and the son of Rick and Ruth Gee. He was the youngest of the five victims killed that night. He was killed in his own home alongside his parents and siblings. He was 11 years old.
Survivor
Tabitha Gee, Age 3
Tabitha Gee was three years old on the night of the attack. She was beaten and left for dead but was found alive and rushed to a hospital in Peoria where medical staff saved her life. She survived at least two blows to her head. Tabitha was placed in foster care following the murders and later adopted by a loving and supportive family. She underwent counseling and made a full recovery. At Christopher Harris's sentencing in 2013, her grandmother read a statement from Tabitha that said: "I wish you were dead and my brothers and sisters and mommy and daddy were alive." Tabitha is the only member of the household to have survived the attack.
01
Overview
What We Know
In the early morning hours of September 21, 2009, Christopher Harris and his younger brother Jason Harris drove to the home of the Gee family on the outskirts of Beason, Illinois, a small rural community of fewer than 200 people approximately 45 miles northeast of Springfield. Christopher Harris was 30 years old and the ex-husband of Nicole Gee, the adult daughter of Rick Gee. He had recently broken up with Nicole again after a period of reconciliation. He was familiar with the family and had lived in the area.
According to the indictment and testimony at trial, Christopher Harris entered the home armed with a tire iron. The stated motives included the intent to sexually assault 16-year-old Justina Constant, Ruth Gee's daughter, and to rob the family. Jason Harris remained outside in the vehicle while his brother entered the home. Inside, Christopher Harris beat Rick Gee, Ruth Gee, Justina Constant, Dillen Constant, and Austin Gee to death with the tire iron. Three-year-old Tabitha Gee was also beaten and left for dead. Jason Harris later testified that he witnessed his brother beat Dillen Constant outside the home with the tire iron.
The family was discovered the following morning. Rick Gee, 46; Ruth Gee, 39; Justina Constant, 16; Dillen Constant, 14; and Austin Gee, 11, were all found bludgeoned to death. Tabitha Gee, 3, was found alive but critically injured and was airlifted to a hospital in Peoria where medical staff saved her life.
Nicole Gee was not at the family home at the time of the attack and was not accused of any involvement. In the immediate aftermath she publicly defended Christopher Harris, posting on social media that she did not believe he was capable of the crime. She later changed her position as the physical evidence against him became overwhelming. At his sentencing she submitted a statement asking him to confess the truth.
Following his conviction and sentencing, the Gee family sought permission to demolish the home where the murders occurred. In 2014, with approval from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, ten members of the Beason Fire Department burned the home to the ground.
02
Chronology
Case Timeline
September 21, 2009 — Early Morning
The Gee Family Is Attacked
Christopher Harris and Jason Harris drive to the Gee family home in Beason, Illinois. Christopher enters the home armed with a tire iron. He beats Rick Gee, Ruth Gee, Justina Constant, Dillen Constant, and Austin Gee to death. Three-year-old Tabitha Gee is also beaten and left for dead. A laptop computer belonging to the family is stolen. Jason Harris remains in the vehicle outside.
September 21, 2009 — Morning After
Bodies Discovered; Tabitha Airlifted
The family is discovered. Five members are found beaten to death. Tabitha Gee, age 3, is found alive but critically injured and is airlifted to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Medical staff save her life. Logan County law enforcement responds and a homicide investigation begins.
September to October 2009
Arrests and Charges Filed
Christopher Harris is arrested on October 1, 2009 and charged with five counts of first-degree murder and additional charges. Jason Harris, Jennifer Earnest (Jason's girlfriend), and Earnest's mother Sara Duncan are charged with obstruction of justice for providing false alibis and helping destroy evidence. Jason Harris is subsequently also charged with murder. On October 28, the Harris brothers are collectively charged with more than 50 counts including murder, attempted murder, home invasion, residential robbery, and criminal sexual assault.
2010 to 2013
Pre-Trial Proceedings; Jason Harris Plea Deal
Jason Harris agrees to a plea deal and turns state's witness against his brother. He pleads guilty to concealment of homicide, obstruction of justice, and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance and receives a 10-year sentence. Christopher Harris's trial is moved to Peoria County after the defense argues a fair and impartial jury cannot be seated in Logan County. A handprint found in the Gee bathroom is forensically matched to Christopher Harris. The tire iron and a pair of K-Swiss shoes are recovered from a roadside ditch and DNA from both items matches the Gee family and Christopher Harris.
May 31, 2013
Christopher Harris Convicted on All Counts
A jury of seven women and five men convicts Christopher Harris of all charges after a trial in Peoria County presided over by Judge Scott Drazewski. Harris had taken the stand and claimed Dillen Constant was the actual killer and that Harris killed Dillen in self-defense. The jury rejects this account. Juror Seth Jones tells reporters he looked for ways to believe Harris but the evidence was too strong.
July 19, 2013
Sentenced to Five Consecutive Natural Life Terms
Judge Drazewski sentences Christopher Harris to five consecutive terms of natural life in prison for the five murders, plus 30 years for the attempted murder of Tabitha Gee, 30 years for home invasion, and 20 years for robbery. Victim impact statements are read in court including statements from Nicole Gee and Tabitha Gee. Harris will never be released.
2013 to 2019
Appeals Denied
Christopher Harris files a motion for a new trial shortly after sentencing, alleging judicial error including the denial of a jury site visit to the Gee home. The motion is denied. The Fourth District Appellate Court upholds the conviction in 2015, rejecting the self-defense theory and all other grounds for appeal. A further appeal filed in 2019 is also denied.
2014 — Ongoing
Home Demolished; Tabitha Adopted
In 2014, with the approval of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Beason Fire Department burns the Gee family home to the ground at the request of the surviving family. Tabitha Gee, after a period in foster care following the murders, is adopted by a family described as loving and supportive. She undergoes counseling and makes a full recovery. Christopher Harris remains at Pontiac Correctional Center in Pontiac, Illinois.
03
Law Enforcement
The Investigation
The Logan County Sheriff's Office led the investigation into the Gee family murders with assistance from the Illinois State Police and other agencies. The crime scene at the small family home in Beason was processed for physical evidence in the days following the discovery of the bodies on September 21, 2009. Investigators seized the Harris brothers' pickup truck and searched the properties associated with Christopher and Jason Harris multiple times during the opening days of the investigation.
A key piece of physical evidence was a handprint found in the bathroom of the Gee home. Forensic analysis positively identified the handprint as belonging to Christopher Harris. Investigators also drove the route described by Jason Harris in his account of the night's events and located the tire iron used in the killings along with a pair of K-Swiss shoes in a roadside ditch beyond the property. DNA testing confirmed that both the tire iron and the shoes carried DNA matching members of the Gee family and Christopher Harris.
The stolen Acer Aspire laptop computer was also recovered. Jason Harris had initially provided his brother with a false alibi and assisted in concealing evidence. Jennifer Earnest, Jason's girlfriend, and her mother Sara Duncan also provided false alibis and helped destroy evidence; all three were charged with obstruction of justice. Jason Harris was subsequently charged with murder as well before ultimately reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors.
The investigation benefited significantly from Jason Harris's eventual cooperation as a state's witness. After reaching a plea deal with Logan County State's Attorney Jonathan Wright, Jason provided a detailed account of the night of the murders, including his brother's use of cocaine prior to the attack, the drive to the Gee home, Christopher entering the home with the tire iron, and Jason witnessing the beating of Dillen Constant outside the house. This testimony corroborated the physical evidence and was central to the prosecution's case at trial.
Law enforcement on scene — Beason, Illinois, 2009
At trial, Christopher Harris took the stand and presented an alternative account, claiming he had arrived at the house to find Dillen Constant in the process of killing his family and that Harris had killed Dillen in self-defense. He did not accuse his brother of participating in the killings. The prosecution countered with photographs of Harris taken by a girlfriend approximately 12 hours after the murders, showing him smiling and relaxed with no visible injuries or distress. The prosecution displayed one of those photographs during closing arguments. The jury deliberated and returned a guilty verdict on all counts. Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols and State's Attorney Jonathan Wright oversaw the prosecution of the case.
04
Convicted
The Accused
Christopher Harris
Primary Perpetrator
Age at Time of Offense: 30
Hometown: Armington, Illinois
Relationship to Victims: Ex-husband of Nicole Gee, daughter of Rick Gee
Charges: Five counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, home invasion, robbery, criminal sexual assault (68 total counts)
Defense at Trial: Claimed self-defense; alleged Dillen Constant was the killer
Verdict: Guilty on all counts — May 31, 2013
Sentence: Five consecutive natural life terms plus 30 years (attempted murder), 30 years (home invasion), 20 years (robbery) — July 19, 2013
Sentencing Judge: Hon. Scott Drazewski, Logan County Circuit Court
Current Status: Serving life without parole at Pontiac Correctional Center, Pontiac, Illinois. All appeals denied.
Jason Harris
Accomplice — State's Witness
Age at Time of Offense: 22
Relationship to Christopher Harris: Younger brother
Initial Charges: Five counts of murder, attempted murder (71 total counts)
Plea Deal: Guilty to concealment of homicide, obstruction of justice, unlawful delivery of a controlled substance
Sentence: 10 years
Role: Waited outside in vehicle; witnessed his brother beat Dillen Constant; provided false alibi initially; turned state's witness against Christopher Harris
Case Disposition
Christopher Harris was convicted on all counts on May 31, 2013, and sentenced on July 19, 2013 to five consecutive natural life terms with no possibility of parole, plus additional consecutive sentences for the attempted murder of Tabitha Gee, home invasion, and robbery. He will never leave prison. All post-conviction appeals have been denied, including a 2015 ruling by the Fourth District Appellate Court upholding the conviction and a 2019 appeal that was also denied. Jason Harris received a 10-year sentence in a plea agreement and served as the state's primary witness against his brother. His current status beyond the completion of his sentence has not been publicly reported.
Forensic Breakdown
Case Analysis
Nature of the Attack and Overkill
Five people were beaten to death with a tire iron in a single attack at a small residential home. The use of a blunt weapon capable of delivering lethal force across multiple victims in succession indicates sustained, purposeful violence rather than a single reactive event. The killing of five people, including an 11-year-old child and the attempted killing of a 3-year-old, is consistent with a perpetrator who entered the home with lethal intent toward the entire household. The choice of a tire iron as the weapon reflects opportunistic arming rather than premeditated weapon acquisition, but the sustained use of it across five victims over the course of the attack indicates neither impulse nor panic.
Intimate Partner and Family Violence Context
Christopher Harris was the ex-husband of Nicole Gee, the adult daughter of Rick Gee, and had recently broken off a renewed relationship with her. Research on family and intimate partner homicide consistently documents that periods of separation or recent breakup represent elevated risk intervals, particularly when the offender perceives the relationship as a source of status, access, or control. Harris lived near the family and was familiar to them. The attack targeted not Nicole directly but her family of origin, a pattern consistent with extended revenge or punishment directed at a perceived source of rejection. Nicole was not home at the time and was not injured.
Post-Offense Behavior
Approximately 12 hours after the murders, before the bodies had been discovered, Christopher Harris visited a girlfriend and was photographed smiling and relaxed with no visible injuries or signs of distress. This behavior is one of the most forensically and psychologically significant elements of the case. The capacity to present as entirely normal in the hours following the killing of five people, including children, is a documented feature of psychopathic or severely antisocial personality structures. The prosecution displayed this photograph during closing arguments as evidence of consciousness of guilt and affective detachment. A juror later described finding it difficult to look away from.
The Self-Defense Fabrication
Harris's trial defense was built on a claim that 14-year-old Dillen Constant had committed the murders and that Harris killed Dillen in self-defense after interrupting the scene. This account required jurors to believe that a 14-year-old had beaten four family members to death with a tire iron before being subdued by Harris. The physical evidence, DNA, the handprint, the testimony of Jason Harris, and the post-offense behavior of Christopher Harris all contradicted this account. The attempt to shift blame to a deceased child victim who could not defend himself reflects a calculated rather than impulsive defense strategy and underscored the premeditated nature of the concealment effort that began immediately after the attack.
Accomplice Dynamics and Family Complicity
Jason Harris drove his brother to the scene, waited outside, and subsequently helped conceal evidence and provided a false alibi. His girlfriend and her mother also participated in the cover-up. The willingness of multiple people to protect the perpetrator in the immediate aftermath of a mass family killing reflects the social dynamics of loyalty and denial that frequently operate in cases involving perpetrators embedded within a community or family network. Jason's eventual cooperation with prosecutors was the product of a plea negotiation rather than a spontaneous decision to come forward; his initial instinct was to protect his brother. His account was nonetheless credible enough to be central to Christopher's conviction.
Tabitha Gee — Survival and Recovery
Tabitha Gee was three years old and survived at least two blows to the head with a tire iron. That she survived at all is a product of chance and the speed of medical intervention. Her survival meant the perpetrator failed to eliminate all witnesses. In forensic terms, the attack on a 3-year-old child with lethal force and the intent to kill demonstrates the absence of any limiting moral constraint in the offender: the age and complete vulnerability of the victim were not factors that caused him to stop. Tabitha's later statement at sentencing, read by her grandmother, became one of the defining moments of the case. She was adopted and made a full recovery.
In Memoriam
They Are Not Forgotten
Five people were killed in a small house in Beason, Illinois, on the night of September 21, 2009. Rick Gee was 46 years old. Ruth Gee was 39. Justina Constant was 16. Dillen Constant was 14. Austin Gee was 11. They were a family. They were in their home. They should have been safe.
Tabitha Gee was three years old and she lived. She was found beaten and airlifted to a hospital and the doctors did not let her die. She grew up. She was adopted. At Christopher Harris's sentencing, when she was still very small, her grandmother read her words into a courtroom: "I wish you were dead and my brothers and sisters and mommy and daddy were alive." She said what everyone in that room was thinking and she said it with a clarity that no adult in the room could have matched.
Nicole Gee lost her father, her stepmother, her sister, her stepbrother, and her little brother in a single night. The man who killed them had been her husband. She spent years trying to make sense of something that has no sense in it. At sentencing she submitted a statement asking Christopher Harris to confess the truth. He never did.
The town of Beason pulled together afterward in the way that small towns do when something happens that should not have been possible in a place where everyone knows everyone. They built a memorial. They honored the family. In 2014 the family asked for the house to be burned down, and the fire department came and burned it down, and it was the right thing to do.
Rick. Ruth. Justina. Dillen. Austin. They were a family and they are not forgotten.
Sources
Illinois Times — "Christopher Harris wants new trial" (2013) | Illinois Times — "A booty call after a blood bath" (trial coverage) | Herald-Review — "Christopher Harris guilty of murdering Beason family" (June 2013) | Herald-Review — "Christopher Harris sentenced to five life terms for Gee family murders" (July 2013) | WAND-TV — "Sentencing of Christopher Harris emotional for family and friends" (July 2013) | WJBC AM 1230 — "Murder conviction upheld in Beason family slaying" (November 2015) | NBC Chicago — "Man Convicted of Killing Ex-Wife's Family Wants New Trial" (2013) | NBC News — "Second man charged in Ill. family slaying" (2009) | CBS News — "Cops: Two Brothers, Two Motives in Beason Family Murder" (2009) | Odd Murders and Mysteries — "The Gee Family Murders" | The Midwest Crime Files — "The Gee Family Murders" | Logan County Sheriff's Office — Case records
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