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Missouri to Execute Man for 2007 Child Rape and Murder
Christopher Collings, 49, will be executed in Missouri on Tuesday for the 2007 rape and murder of his friend's 9-year-old stepdaughter, Rowan Ford, after his clemency petition was denied and the Supreme Court rejected his appeal; this will be the 23rd execution in the U.S. this year.
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United States
U.s. Supreme CourtMissouri State PrisonWalmart
Christopher CollingsRowan FordMike ParsonAndrew BaileyDavid SpearsNathan MahurinColleen Spears
- What are the key facts of Christopher Collings' case and the upcoming execution?
- Christopher Collings, 49, will be executed in Missouri on Tuesday for the 2007 rape and murder of 9-year-old Rowan Ford. His clemency petition was denied, and the Supreme Court rejected his appeal. Missouri uses pentobarbital for executions.
- What inconsistencies exist in the accounts of the crime given by Collings and Spears?
- Collings was convicted of first-degree murder. The crime involved inconsistencies in accounts from Collings and his friend, David Spears, who also confessed to the assault and murder but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and served more than seven years in prison. The execution is the 23rd in the U.S. this year.
- What are the implications of Collings' brain abnormality claim and the questions surrounding the credibility of the law enforcement witness?
- Collings' execution raises questions surrounding his brain abnormality, which his lawyers argued caused functional deficits affecting awareness, judgment, and emotional regulation. The case also questions the credibility of a key law enforcement witness. The execution will be the fourth in Missouri this year, following a trend of increased executions in the U.S.