Skip to main content

Linda Collins-Smith

Former Arkansas Republican state senator found stabbed to death on approximately May 28, 2019, at her home in Pocahontas, Arkansas — her body discovered a week later concealed under a tarp in her own driveway. Her killer, close friend and political aide Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell, was convicted and is serving 50 years. But Collins-Smith had reportedly been investigating a child trafficking ring operating through Arkansas's Department of Human Services and the state's foster care system, had compiled extensive documentation, and was preparing to go public with her findings. The judge overseeing the case sealed the evidence, limiting public scrutiny. Her death came the same week that a second former Republican state senator — Jonathan Nichols of Oklahoma, also connected to child safety legislation — was found shot dead.

FieldDetails
Full NameLinda F. Collins (née Collins; also known as Linda Collins-Smith)
BornApril 17, 1962, Pocahontas, Randolph County, Arkansas
DiedApproximately May 28, 2019 (body discovered June 4, 2019)
Age at Death57
Location of DeathPocahontas, Randolph County, Arkansas — her home driveway, concealed under a tarp
Cause of DeathMultiple stab wounds
Official RulingHomicide — Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell convicted of first-degree murder, sentenced to 50 years
NationalityAmerican
Killed on US SoilYes
Alleged ConnectionReportedly investigating child trafficking through Arkansas DHS/CPS and foster care system; had compiled documentation on sitting judges allegedly involved in removing children from poor families
Victim Was Intel EmployeeNo
CategoryPolitical Figure / Whistleblower

Assessment: SUSPICIOUS​

A convicted killer, Rebecca O'Donnell, has been identified and sentenced, and substantial physical evidence — security camera footage showing O'Donnell holding a bloody knife, forged checks, stolen gold and silver — makes the core murder case solid. However, Collins-Smith's death carries multiple elements beyond the personal financial dispute that make a full accounting of why she was killed incomplete. She was a sitting anti-trafficking investigator who had reportedly compiled documentation on sitting Arkansas judges allegedly involved in removing children through DHS and placing them with wealthy individuals. A court order sealed the police evidence in the case almost immediately. Her death came in the same week as former Oklahoma state senator Jonathan Nichols, who also worked on child safety legislation. O'Donnell — while in jail awaiting trial — attempted to hire fellow inmates to murder Collins-Smith's ex-husband, his wife, and the prosecuting attorneys, suggesting a web of motivations that extended beyond simple financial panic. O'Donnell also had a documented 2007 history of attempting to arrange a murder-for-hire against her own ex-husband. The full scope of what Collins-Smith had compiled, and whether it contributed to the urgency of silencing her, has not been established.

Circumstances of Death​

On June 4, 2019, Collins-Smith's father and son went to her home in Pocahontas, Arkansas, after being unable to reach her for approximately one week. She had last been seen alive on approximately May 28, 2019, having recently returned from a trip to Washington D.C., where she had reportedly been seeking political connections to support a return to elected office.

Inside the home, the family found a large dark bloodstain on the kitchen floor. Outside in the driveway, they discovered Collins-Smith's body concealed beneath a tarp, wrapped in a comforter, among construction materials. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition. She had been stabbed multiple times.

Her son, Butch Collins, called 911 at approximately 5:30 p.m. on June 4, 2019.

Arrest: On June 14, 2019, Arkansas State Police arrested Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell, 48, of Pocahontas. O'Donnell had been Collins-Smith's campaign worker, personal assistant, and one of her closest personal friends for years. She was charged with capital murder, tampering with physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse.

Physical Evidence:

  • Security camera footage from inside Collins-Smith's home captured O'Donnell holding a bloody knife at the location where Collins-Smith was killed
  • Additional camera footage showed O'Donnell tampering with and removing security cameras from multiple locations around the property
  • O'Donnell had forged Collins-Smith's signature on checks, stealing more than $50,000 from Collins-Smith's bank accounts and from her elderly father's accounts
  • O'Donnell had sold gold and silver coins stolen from Collins-Smith's home in at least three separate transactions in Memphis and Little Rock

Plea and Sentence: On August 6, 2020, O'Donnell pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. In open court she stated: "I went to Linda's house and I intentionally killed her and then hid the body." She was sentenced to 43 years (later totaling 50 years when combined with other charges).

Murder-for-hire from jail: While awaiting trial, O'Donnell attempted to recruit fellow inmates to murder Collins-Smith's ex-husband, former Circuit Judge Phil Smith; his new wife, Mary; and Prosecuting Attorney Henry Boyce of Newport. She offered stolen gold and silver from Collins-Smith's home as payment. She was charged with soliciting capital murder in Jackson County and pleaded no contest to those charges, adding 7 additional years to her sentence.

Judge's recusal: The original presiding judge, Circuit Judge Harold Erwin — who had issued the evidence sealing order — was later recused from the case. The recusal was at the request of the judge himself, and the stated reason was not made public, but court observers noted that Erwin would not have been a neutral party given that Phil Smith, Collins-Smith's ex-husband, had previously served as a judge on the same Third Judicial Circuit bench as Erwin. O'Donnell had also named Erwin as one of the people she was trying to have killed.

Background​

Linda Collins was born April 17, 1962, in Pocahontas, Arkansas, to Benny Collins and Caroline Vernice Hunnicutt Collins. She grew up in poverty in Williford, Sharp County, in a home that reportedly lacked running water until her teen years.

She became a businesswoman and entrepreneur — real estate agent, regional sales manager, and co-owner with her then-husband Phil Smith of the Days Inn motel in Pocahontas, which they sold in 2016. Her marriage to Phil Smith, a circuit court judge, ended in a bitter and contentious divorce in 2018.

Political career:

  • 2010: Won a seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives, District 80, running as a Democrat
  • August 2011: Switched party affiliation to Republican, stating publicly: "I have not left the Democratic Party, but the party left me"
  • 2014: Won election to the Arkansas State Senate, District 19
  • 2015–2018: Served as state senator; served as vice chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  • 2018: Lost her re-election bid narrowly, 4,726 to 5,299

Anti-Trafficking Legislative Record:

Collins-Smith was the primary sponsor of HB1923, which became Act 922 in April 2017. The legislation required persons applying for a Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) to complete a Human Trafficking Prevention Course before issuance or renewal. Governor Asa Hutchinson signed it into law. The National Foundation for Women Legislators recognized Collins-Smith's leadership on this issue, and she was described as "a leader in the fight to end human trafficking in Arkansas."

This was verified, documented anti-trafficking legislative work — not mere association with the issue. Collins-Smith was institutionally recognized as a trafficking prevention advocate during her time in office.

The Claimed Investigation into Child Trafficking Through DHS​

The following claims come primarily from alternative media sources — principally CD Media — and from sources described as close to Collins-Smith. They have not been confirmed by mainstream investigative journalism or official law enforcement statements. The judge in the case ordered police evidence sealed, which has limited independent verification. These claims are documented here because they form the core of why many observers believe Collins-Smith's death may have had dimensions beyond the financial motive established at trial.

The core allegation, as reported by CD Media (June 2019): "A verified source close to Collins-Smith told CD Media that she was about to go public with incriminating information on sitting judges in Arkansas, who were involved in taking children from poor women via the Department of Human Services (child protective services) in Arkansas and selling them to wealthy individuals."

The financial discrepancy claim: According to CD Media and related reporting, Collins-Smith had been tracking missing funds at Arkansas DHS — initially reported as approximately $27 million, later claimed to have grown to over $53 million, with allegations of a "second set of books." Health Impact News, which covers medical kidnapping and CPS issues, described Collins-Smith as a "frequent critic of CPS corruption" before her death.

The scope of her alleged investigation: According to CD Media's July 2019 follow-up report, additional sources confirmed the initial reporting and described the FBI as "closing in on Arkansas child trafficking." True Pundit reported that federal sources indicated Collins-Smith "was probing the corrupt agency for a pay-to-play adoption scheme with foster parents." These are unverified claims from outlets with varying track records, and must be assessed accordingly.

What is verifiable: Collins-Smith had publicly served on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where DHS oversight issues came before her. She had authored anti-trafficking legislation. She had — by multiple accounts — expressed strong criticism of Arkansas DHS and CPS practices in her public statements and legislative work. She had made a recent trip to Washington D.C. that her family understood as an effort to re-enter politics.

What remains unknown: The content of any documentation she had compiled. Whether her investigation was active at the time of her death or from an earlier period in her tenure. Whether the sealed police evidence bears on these claims.

The Sealed Evidence​

Shortly after Collins-Smith's body was found, Circuit Judge Harold Erwin issued an order sealing police records and investigative documents in the case. The order came at the request of Prosecuting Attorney Henry Boyce. KATV reported on the sealing order in June 2019, noting that access to the full investigative record was blocked.

The sealing of evidence in a high-profile murder case involving a former state legislator drew attention because it limited the ability of journalists and the public to scrutinize what, if anything, Collins-Smith had been investigating. Whether the sealed evidence contains material bearing on her political activities has not been publicly established.

The Jonathan Nichols Parallel​

On June 5, 2019 — the day after Collins-Smith's body was found — former Oklahoma state senator Jonathan Nichols, 53, was discovered shot dead in his Norman, Oklahoma home. Nichols had served in the Oklahoma Senate for 12 years (2000–2012). He had authored legislation increasing penalties for child abusers and expanding Oklahoma's DNA database for solving violent cold cases.

The deaths of two former Republican state senators with documented child safety records within two days of each other drew national attention. Bloomberg reported on the dual deaths on June 8, 2019. CNN covered both cases together. Investigators stated there was no known connection between the two deaths. Nichols's death was ruled a suicide.

The coincidence was noted by many observers, including conservative outlets. Whether it constitutes pattern evidence or statistical coincidence remains unresolved.

Pattern Context: Politicians Investigating CPS and Trafficking​

Collins-Smith's death fits a documented pattern of politicians, advocates, and officials who investigated child protective services corruption dying violently or under suspicious circumstances:

  • Nancy Schaefer — Georgia state senator who published "The Corrupt Business of Child Protective Services" in 2007 after a four-year investigation. Found shot dead with her husband on March 26, 2010 in what was ruled a murder-suicide. Disputed by many researchers.
  • Jonathan Nichols — Oklahoma state senator who authored child safety legislation; found shot dead June 5, 2019, the day after Collins-Smith.
  • Philip Haney — DHS whistleblower on trafficking networks; found shot dead in February 2020, ruled a suicide despite suspicious circumstances.

Arkansas itself has been the location of multiple politically connected deaths with disputed rulings, including the 1987 deaths of teenagers Kevin Ives and Don Henry on railroad tracks in Saline County (long disputed; connected by some investigators to drug smuggling operations near Mena Airport), and the 1993 death of White House Deputy Counsel Vince Foster.

Social Media Narrative — X.com and Viral Claims​

Since Collins-Smith's death, a persistent and active social media narrative has framed her murder as a targeted silencing rather than a personal financial dispute. Posts range from 2019 to 2025–2026, indicating the theory remains alive and regularly resurfaces when trafficking stories, Epstein document releases, or CPS reform debates trend. High-engagement posts receive tens of thousands of likes and reposts.

No direct, verbatim public quotes from Collins-Smith herself about exposing a specific pedophilia ring or naming trafficking suspects have surfaced on X. What circulates instead is a consistent set of unverified post-death claims from alternative media sources, anonymous sources "close to Collins-Smith," and interpretations of her legislative record.

Core Claims Circulating on X​

O'Donnell was framed or coerced: The most consistent and persistent claim across X posts is that Rebecca O'Donnell did not act alone or from personal financial motives, but was either framed for Collins-Smith's murder or coerced into a guilty plea by the threat of the death penalty. Posts argue the real motive was silencing Collins-Smith's investigation, and that O'Donnell was a convenient conviction that closed the case without public scrutiny of Collins-Smith's political work. What is established: O'Donnell pleaded guilty, stated in open court "I went to Linda's house and I intentionally killed her and then hid the body," and physical evidence — including security camera footage of O'Donnell holding a bloody knife at the kill site — independently corroborated her guilt. She was facing capital murder charges. Whether a guilty plea under those circumstances constitutes coercion is a legal question posts raise but do not substantiate with new evidence.

The Clinton Foundation / shell company financial connection: Some posts extend the DHS missing funds claim beyond a state-level corruption story into a direct Clinton Foundation link. Paraphrasing from X: "She was working w/ DHS to expose missing $27M from DHS/Child Protective Services. These funds R being placed into trade & the dividends R being filtered back 2 the Clinton F. or shell Co. of the CF." More recent posts update the alleged amount to $40–50 million in what they describe as a "pay-to-play adoption scheme." What is established: Collins-Smith did publicly criticize Arkansas DHS and CPS practices. The DHS missing funds claim originated with CD Media and True Pundit in 2019 — alternative media outlets. No mainstream investigative outlet, law enforcement statement, or court filing has confirmed the Clinton Foundation connection. Snopes investigated the specific claim that Collins-Smith was "about to testify against the Clintons" and found no evidence.

"Shot" vs. stabbed — an early inconsistency: Early X posts and some 2019 reporting used the word "shot" to describe Collins-Smith's death; official court records and the guilty plea established she was stabbed multiple times. Some posts treat this early reporting inconsistency as evidence of a cover-up or information suppression at the scene. What is established: The official cause of death is multiple stab wounds, confirmed at trial. Early media confusion about method is not uncommon in breaking homicide reporting, particularly when a body has been decomposing for approximately one week before discovery.

Epstein files connection: Some X posts from 2024–2026 claim that DOJ releases of Epstein-related documents reference Collins-Smith or her case, asserting that her death is noted in Epstein files as possibly related to trafficking information she held. Specific PDF links are cited in some posts. What is established: No mainstream reporting has confirmed Collins-Smith appears in Epstein's trafficking files or in DOJ disclosures related to Epstein. These claims have not been independently verified.

Calls for FBI reinvestigation (contemporary, 2025–2026): Recent posts explicitly call on current political figures to reopen the case: "Linda Collins-Smith's murder is a tragic reminder of the dangers of exposing corruption and child trafficking syndicates. Her planned exposure of the CPS missing $40–50 million… Kash Patel, our new FBI director, must investigate this case." This reflects ongoing belief in the CPS-trafficking connection and represents active, not merely historical, social media pressure.

The Nancy Schaefer parallel: Posts consistently group Collins-Smith with Nancy Schaefer, the Georgia state senator who published "The Corrupt Business of Child Protective Services" in 2007 and was found shot dead with her husband in 2010. Both deaths are presented as proof that politicians who expose CPS/foster-system trafficking are targeted. Posts frame the pattern: "Never forget Nancy Schaefer, Georgia State Senator, who called out the dangers of CPS and was then murdered…. CPS is one of the largest trafficking rings in the world." The deaths are real. Whether they share a causal connection has not been established by any independent investigation.

O'Donnell moved out-of-state with communication restrictions: Some posts note that following her plea, O'Donnell's transfer to a facility outside Arkansas and reported communication restrictions have limited the ability of journalists and researchers to independently interview her. Posts treat this as deliberate isolation to prevent her from changing her story or providing additional information.

Verified vs. Unverified — Summary​

ClaimStatus
Collins-Smith authored anti-trafficking legislation (Act 922)VERIFIED — signed by Governor Hutchinson, 2017
Collins-Smith criticized Arkansas DHS/CPS practices publiclyVERIFIED — documented legislative record
CD Media reported she was closing in on a child trafficking ringDOCUMENTED — CD Media, June 2019; unverified alternative media claim
DHS missing funds ($27–53M), "pay-to-play adoption scheme"UNVERIFIED — from CD Media/True Pundit; not confirmed by mainstream sources
Clinton Foundation / shell company financial connectionUNVERIFIED — no mainstream reporting or court filing confirms; Snopes found no evidence
O'Donnell was framed or coerced into guilty pleaUNVERIFIED — contradicted by physical evidence (security camera footage, stolen property records, in-court admission)
O'Donnell pleaded guilty and admitted killing Collins-SmithVERIFIED — court record, August 6, 2020
Evidence sealed by court orderVERIFIED — KATV reported in June 2019
Collins-Smith's name appears in Epstein/DOJ filesUNVERIFIED — cited in social media posts; not confirmed in any major reporting
Jonathan Nichols died same weekVERIFIED — found dead June 5, 2019
Nancy Schaefer died after CPS investigationVERIFIED — died March 26, 2010; official ruling murder-suicide, disputed

Why This Death Raises Questions​

  • The financial motive does not fully explain the level of violence and premeditation. O'Donnell did not steal $50,000 and flee — she stabbed Collins-Smith multiple times, wrapped the body in a comforter, hid it under a tarp in the driveway, tampered with and removed security cameras, and continued to sell stolen property from the home. This level of planning suggests Collins-Smith was not simply discovered catching O'Donnell in theft, but that O'Donnell had significant motivation to ensure Collins-Smith could not disclose something.
  • O'Donnell's post-arrest behavior was extreme. From inside a jail cell, she attempted to hire fellow inmates to kill three additional people: Collins-Smith's ex-husband Phil Smith (himself a retired judge with knowledge of what Collins-Smith may have been investigating), his wife, and the prosecuting attorney. This is not the behavior of someone panicking about theft charges.
  • O'Donnell had a 2007 history of attempted murder-for-hire. Arkansas State Police investigated O'Donnell in March 2007 following a tipster's report that she had attempted to hire someone to kill her then-husband Jeff O'Donnell for $50,000 from his life insurance. No charge was filed after the husband changed the beneficiary and they divorced. This is a documented pattern of viewing murder as a solution.
  • O'Donnell was also a witness in Collins-Smith's bitter divorce proceedings from Phil Smith. The intersection of personal, financial, legal, and potentially political motivations has never been fully publicly untangled.
  • The evidence was sealed. Court orders limiting public access to police records made it impossible to verify or refute claims about what Collins-Smith had been investigating.
  • The presiding judge recused himself after having issued the sealing order — and after being named as one of O'Donnell's murder-for-hire targets from jail. The circumstances of his recusal remain opaque.
  • Collins-Smith had active anti-trafficking advocacy on her legislative record, including authored legislation and national recognition from the National Foundation for Women Legislators. She was not merely tangentially connected to trafficking issues.
  • Multiple sources independently described her as preparing to go public with findings about DHS corruption and judicial involvement. These sources came forward before or shortly after her death and before O'Donnell's arrest, suggesting the claims were not retrofitted to the facts of the case.
  • Her death came weeks before Jeffrey Epstein's July 2019 arrest — a period of heightened attention on trafficking networks nationally.
  • Two former Republican state senators connected to child safety legislation died in the same week, in different states, through different means.
  • A persistent social media narrative, active from 2019 through 2025–2026, holds that O'Donnell was either framed or coerced and that the real motive was silencing Collins-Smith's investigation. While the physical evidence against O'Donnell is substantial, the framing theory persists in part because the sealed evidence prevents independent verification of what Collins-Smith had compiled — which would either corroborate or refute claims about her investigation's scope.

Counterarguments​

  • A killer was caught, tried, and convicted. Rebecca O'Donnell pleaded guilty, admitted the killing in open court, and is serving 50 years in prison. The physical evidence — security camera footage, forged checks, stolen property records — is extensive.
  • The financial motive is well-documented and independently established. O'Donnell had stolen over $50,000 and faced exposure and criminal charges.
  • Snopes investigated claims that Collins-Smith was "about to testify against the Clintons" and found no evidence supporting that specific claim. Collins-Smith held no political office at the time of her death and had no substantive connections to the Clintons.
  • No official law enforcement statement has connected the murder to Collins-Smith's political activities.
  • Jonathan Nichols's death was officially ruled a suicide, and no official connection to Collins-Smith's murder was established.
  • The DHS missing money claims originated primarily from CD Media and True Pundit, alternative media outlets whose claims require additional sourcing to be treated as verified fact.
  • The "O'Donnell was framed" theory is contradicted by multiple independent forms of physical evidence: security camera footage inside Collins-Smith's own home showed O'Donnell with a bloody knife at the location of the killing; camera footage showed O'Donnell removing security equipment from the property; forged check records and documented sales of stolen gold and silver in Memphis and Little Rock trace back to O'Donnell independently of any confession. A frame-up scenario would require fabricating or manipulating multiple independent evidence streams.
  • Early posts claiming Collins-Smith was "shot" reflect confusion in initial breaking-news reporting, not suppressed evidence. The official cause of death — multiple stab wounds — was established at trial and confirmed through O'Donnell's in-court admission.

Key Quotes​

"I went to Linda's house and I intentionally killed her and then hid the body."

— Rebecca Lynn O'Donnell, guilty plea statement in court, August 6, 2020, reported by CBS News

"She constantly stole money from her and snapped when she was confronted about it."

— Butch Collins (Linda's son), on O'Donnell's motive, reported by ABC News

"A verified source close to Collins-Smith told CD Media that she was about to go public with incriminating information on sitting judges in Arkansas, who were involved in taking children from poor women via the Department of Human Services."

— CD Media, June 7, 2019 (unverified claim from alternative media source)

"Arkansas State Senator Linda Collins-Smith was the leader in the fight to end human trafficking in Arkansas."

— National Foundation for Women Legislators, recognition of Act 922, 2017, reported by TruckersReport.com

See Also​

  • Jonathan Nichols — Former Oklahoma state senator who authored child safety legislation; found shot dead the day after Collins-Smith's body was discovered
  • Nancy Schaefer — Former Georgia state senator who published a detailed report on CPS corruption; found dead with her husband in 2010
  • Monica Petersen — Human trafficking researcher who died in Haiti while investigating Clinton Foundation operations
  • Jenny Moore — Journalist who submitted child abuse allegations to the FBI and died four months later

Other Shocking Stories​

  • Jonathan Nichols: Former Oklahoma senator who championed child safety legislation; found shot dead the same week as Collins-Smith.
  • Nancy Schaefer: Georgia state senator who spent four years documenting CPS corruption; found shot dead with her husband.
  • Natacha Jaitt: Argentine model who publicly named politicians and priests as pedophiles; said "I won't commit suicide" — found dead months later.
  • Isaac Kappy: Actor who publicly named Hollywood figures as pedophiles before dying on an Arizona highway at 42.

Sources​

This information was built by Grok and Claude AI research.

Last updated on