December 3rd 2024.
Christopher Collings, a 49-year-old death row inmate, is facing a scheduled execution on Thursday evening for the horrific murder of nine-year-old Rowan Ford back in 2007. This decision comes after a clemency petition was denied by Missouri's governor, sealing Collings' fate for a lethal injection at 6 PM CT on Tuesday at the Bonne Terre state prison.
The details surrounding Rowan's death are truly disturbing. Collings had been living with her family for several months and had even been referred to as "Uncle Chris" by the fourth grader. But on November 3rd, 2007, Rowan's life was tragically cut short when she was found strangled to death in a sinkhole near her small town of Stella. The killer, Collings, eventually confessed to his heinous crime.
The day before his scheduled execution, Collings' clemency petition brought to light some new information. It stated that he had a brain abnormality that affected his judgment, social behavior, and emotional regulation. The petition also revealed that Collings had a troubled upbringing, having been abused as a child with no guidance on how to become a functioning adult. Sadly, this led to the irreversible damage that he inflicted on Rowan.
It's also worth noting that Rowan's stepfather, David Spears, was also charged in the case. However, he was allowed to plead to lesser crimes and was released after serving just over seven years behind bars. The petition questioned why Spears was able to avoid the same fate as Collings, who had taken full responsibility for his actions.
According to prosecutors, Collings and Spears had been smoking weed and drinking heavily on the night of Rowan's murder. In the early hours of the morning, Collings picked up the young girl from her bed while she was sleeping and brought her to the camper where he lived. It was there that he assaulted her, and when Rowan recognized him, Collings strangled her to death with a rope.
Spears later told authorities that Collings had given him the same rope and instructed him to kill Rowan. In a chilling account from Spears, he admitted to choking her until she was no longer breathing. Collings then disposed of the evidence by burning the rope, his mattress, and his clothes before leaving Rowan's body in a sinkhole. Spears eventually led the police to the exact location of the sinkhole, but it remains unclear why he was able to plead to lesser charges.
As Collings' execution date drew nearer, he made one final appeal to the US Supreme Court. Unfortunately, it was denied without any explanation. The decision was followed by Governor Mike Parson's statement, stating that Collings had been given every protection under the law and that his conviction and sentence still stood for his "horrendous and callous" crime.
In the end, Christopher Collings will become the fourth inmate to be executed in Missouri this year and the 23rd in the entire United States. While justice is being served for Rowan's senseless death, it's a tragic reminder of the consequences that come with such a heinous act. May Rowan rest in peace, and may her family find some sense of closure knowing that her killer will face the ultimate punishment for his actions.
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