70-Year Sentence After Dice Game Turns Deadly

October 8, 2025, Peoria, IL - Today, Ronnie L. Simmons, 23, was sentenced to 70 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the murder of Demetrious Davis in July 2023 after a dice game turned deadly. A second individual was also shot and injured.

In July 2025, Simmons was found guilty of First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Battery with a Firearm, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon. Chief Judge Katerine Gorman sentenced Simmons to 60 years on the murder charge and 10 years for the battery charge. By law, he could only be sentenced on the two most serious charges. Simmons must serve 100% of his sentence on the murder charge.

During sentencing, Judge Gorman said it breaks her heart that the defendant's ego, greed, and anger led him to take a life, adding that such senseless violence "is unacceptable and will not be tolerated" in our city.

In July 2023, Peoria police responded to the 1300 block of NE Madison in the North Valley following reports of a shooting. Two victims had already been taken to the hospital by a private vehicle, but a witness involved with the dice game remained on scene. That witness stated that Simmons had been losing money during a dice game and repeatedly left the game to get more money to keep playing. On his final return, as the victims were preparing to leave, Simmons pulled a gun and tried to rob them. He then shot Davis, and when the second victim tried to disarm him, he was also shot. Davis was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.

After the shooting, Simmons fled the scene and was apprehended shortly after at a residence nearby. A handgun was also recovered inside. Forensic scientists confirmed that the recovered gun matched shell casings found at the scene and that Simmons' DNA was on the gun.

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