Execution Scheduled Tuesday for Christopher Collings

Bonne Terre, Mo. (KFMO) - Missouri is set to carry out its fourth execution of the year on Tuesday evening, as 49-year-old Christopher Collings is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre. Collings was convicted of the 2007 sexual assault and murder of 9-year-old Rowan Ford in the small village of Stella, Missouri. The case garnered widespread attention due to the brutal nature of the crime, which ended with Ford's body being discarded in a sinkhole.

A clemency petition highlights Collings’ traumatic upbringing, citing extensive physical and sexual abuse during his youth and evidence of a brain abnormality that may impair his judgment. Advocates for clemency argue that executing Collings would perpetuate a flawed justice system rather than provide healing or justice. The Missouri Catholic Conference and other groups have urged Governor Mike Parson to intervene, aligning their appeals with the Catholic Church's broader stance against the death penalty as an affront to human dignity.

This execution marks the 23rd in the U.S. this year, with Missouri among eight states carrying out capital punishment in 2024. The state previously executed three individuals earlier in the year. Advocates against the death penalty continue to push for broader reforms, emphasizing that it does not deter crime and undermines opportunities for redemption.