WASHINGTON, DEC 4 – A man convicted of raping and killing a nine-year-old girl was sentenced to death yesterday in the US state of Missouri, according to prison authorities.
Christopher Collings, 49, was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. at the state prison in Bonne Terre, according to a statement from the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Collings was found guilty of murdering Rowan Ford, his friend’s stepson, in November 2007 in the small town of Stella.
The victim’s body was thrown into a pit and found a few days later.
Lawyer Christopher Collings had asked the Supreme Court to stay the execution at the last minute, but the application was rejected.
Collings’ lawyers argued that the police chief who obtained their client’s confession and was a key witness during the trial had a troubled record and lacked credibility.
Additionally, they noted that the victim’s stepfather, David Spears, had admitted to his involvement in her death but was not charged with murder.
The governor of Missouri, Mike Parson, rejected Collings’ request for clemency, allowing execution by lethal injection.
“Collings has received all the protections provided by the Missouri and United States (US) Constitutions, and the conviction and sentence against Collings stands for his brutal and inhumane crimes,” said Governor Parson.
This year, there have been 23 executions in the US, including four in Missouri. – AFP
