On November 3, 2007, in Stella, Missouri, nine-year-old Rowan Ford (April 11, 1998 — November 3, 2007) went missing from her home, and her body was found in a cave at McDonald County, Missouri six days after her disappearance, and forensic reports showed that Ford was raped and strangled to death. Two suspects, Christopher Leroy Collings (a family friend of Ford) and David Spears (Ford's stepfather), were arrested and charged with raping and murdering Ford. Collings was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death in 2012 while Spears was sentenced to 11 years in prison for endangering the welfare of a child and covering up the crime. Collings is currently scheduled to be executed on December 3, 2024 for the crime.
Rape and murder
On November 3, 2007, in Stella, Missouri, nine-year-old Rowan Ford, then a fourth-grade student, was last seen at her home before she disappeared. Her mother was unable to find her and hence, Ford was reported missing.
Six days after her disappearance, inside a rural part of McDonald County, Missouri, Ford's body was found inside a cave. At the time of the discovery, Ford, who was covered with leaves and debris, was nude from the waist down, wearing only one sock. Ford had a ligature mark around her neck and there were injuries on her vaginal area.
Criminal charges and trial
Appeal process
Scheduled execution of Collings
On April 5, 2024, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey applied to the Missouri Supreme Court for an approval to schedule an execution date for Christopher Collings, who had exhausted all his avenues of appeal at this point. Under Missouri state law, should the Missouri Supreme Court issued a death warrant, an execution date would be set between 90 and 120 days from the date of the court order.
On August 13, 2024, the Missouri Supreme Court approved the death warrant of Collings, scheduling his death sentence to be carried out on December 3, 2024.
See also
References