A man from Newton County convicted of killing a nine-year-old girl had his clemency request denied, pushing forward his soon-to-be execution.
Governor Mike Parson upheld the death sentence sentence for 49-year-old Christopher Collings on Monday in connection with the death of Rowan Ford in 2007.
According to court documents, he lived with the Ford family for several months in Stella, Missouri, southeast of Neosho, leading up to the murder.
Investigators say Collings sexually assaulted the nine-year-old girl on November 3, 2007 before murdering her and attempting to hide her body in a sinkhole.
He later confessed to the crime, along with Ford’s stepfather, David Spears, who was sentenced on lesser charges and served just seven years in prison.
Parson’s decision to uphold the death sentencing conviction is in line with previous decisions, he has overseen 13 clemency requests as Governor, denying each one.
Collings will be put to death Tuesday at 6:00pm at the state prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri. It will be the fourth execution performed in Missouri this year.
