Missouri
Christopher Collings’ final words before Missouri execution
Christopher Leroy Collings was executed in Missouri on Tuesday for the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl.
Collings, 49, died by lethal injection at 6:10 p.m. CST at the Potosi Correctional Center in Bonne Terre.
“Right or wrong I accept this situation for what it is,” Collings said in a written final statement. “To anyone that I have hurt in this life I am sorry. I hope that you are able to get closure and move on.”
Collings is the 23rd inmate to be executed in the U.S. this year and the fourth in the state of Missouri.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to grant a stay of execution on Monday.
“Mr. Collings has received every protection afforded by the Missouri and United States Constitutions, and Mr. Collings’ conviction and sentence remain for his horrendous and callous crime,” Governor Michael Parson said in a statement on Monday. “The State of Missouri will carry out Mr. Collings’ sentence according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”
Missouri Department of Corrections via AP
In 2007, Collings kidnapped Rowan Ford, the 9-year-old stepdaughter of one of his friends, according to court records. He was found guilty of raping the child and strangling her with chicken wire.
Collings has said that he did not intend to kill Ford, but he panicked when she recognized him. He had lived with her family for several months that year.
Ford’s body was found in a cave about a week after her disappearance. An autopsy ruled that she died due to strangulation.
Ford’s stepfather, David Wesley Spears, was also charged with rape and murder related to the incident. He had confessed to sexually assaulting and killing Ford, but Collings denied his involvement.
Prosecutors withdrew the murder charge in 2012.
Spears accepted a plea deal, agreeing to plead guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and hindrance of prosecution. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison and released in 2015.
“I am so proud of the girl that she was turning out to be,” Rowan’s older sister, Ariane Macks, Ford’s sister, told USA TODAY. “A part of me died when my sister died. I did lose my ray of sunshine.”
Macks said Collings deserved to be sentenced to death for killing Ford.
“I wanted him dead, I still do…but they could have done something better than lethal injection because he’s going out easy,” she said. “I cannot even imagine the pain when [Rowan] was strangled. Chris being so tall and so big [compared] to my little sister, she didn’t have a fighting chance.”
In Colling’s clemency petition, his attorneys said he suffered from a brain abnormality that caused “functional deficits in awareness, judgment and deliberation, comportment, appropriate social inhibition, and emotional regulation” and he experienced abuse as a child. Parson denied the petition.
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PETTIS COUNTY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Sedalia man is dead and a woman is recovering after a single-vehicle crash, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Troopers say the crash happened around 11:20 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, near the intersection of Route M and Whiteman Rd.
Investigators add that a 2018 Dodge Challenger, driven by a 30-year-old Sedalia man, was traveling north on the highway when it veered off the right side of the road.
MSHP notes that the vehicle struck a tree and a fence before rolling over.
First responders say they pronounced the driver dead at the scene around 11:55 p.m. He was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Authorities indicate that a 26-year-old female passenger, also from Sedalia, suffered minor injuries and was transported to Bothwell Regional Health Center. She was not wearing a seatbelt.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. No further information has been released.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 17, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 17 drawing
03-26-49-53-61, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 17 drawing
Midday: 6-4-5
Midday Wild: 0
Evening: 1-7-5
Evening Wild: 6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 17 drawing
Midday: 7-5-3-7
Midday Wild: 2
Evening: 7-3-4-0
Evening Wild: 8
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 17 drawing
Early Bird: 12
Morning: 09
Matinee: 06
Prime Time: 13
Night Owl: 03
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from June 17 drawing
11-22-24-32-34
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from June 17 drawing
10-17-44-63-67, Powerball: 24
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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