Christopher Collings, a man from Missouri, was executed on Tuesday, December 3, for the crime of kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and killing 9-year-old Rowan Ford back in 2007. He was 49 years old and was put to death by lethal injection at a state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri, at 6:10 p.m. CST.
Before he died, Collings made a final statement, saying, “Right or wrong I accept this situation for what it is. To anyone that I have hurt in this life I am sorry. I hope that you are able to get closure and move on. Regardless which side of this situation that you are on. You are in my prayers and I hope to see you in heaven one day.”
This execution took place after Missouri’s highest court denied an appeal filed by Collings’ lawyer. The U.S. Supreme Court also refused to intervene. Governor Mike Parson supported the decision, saying that Collings had received all the legal protections guaranteed by the Constitution and that his execution was a result of his “horrendous and callous crime.”
In 2007, Collings kidnapped, raped, and murdered Rowan Ford, then dumped her body in a sinkhole near Powell, Missouri. He later admitted to the crime. Ford and Collings knew each other well, as he had lived with her family for months. She called him “Uncle Chris.”
Ford’s stepfather, David Spears, also confessed to sexually assaulting and killing the girl. However, Collings denied Spears’ involvement, and Spears was sentenced to prison for a lesser charge, serving over seven years.
In his petition for clemency, Collings’ lawyers argued that he had a brain abnormality that affected his judgment and behavior, and they also claimed he had suffered abuse as a child. But despite these arguments, the execution went ahead as planned.
Collings was the 23rd person to be executed in the U.S. in 2024.
