In August, the Missouri Supreme Court ordered the execution of Christopher Collings to occur at 6 pm on December 3rd, 2024. Collings was convicted in 2012 of the 2007 rape and murder of nine-year-old Rowan Ford in Stella, Missouri. After initially giving noncommittal answers to law enforcement, Collings later confessed to the crimes and surrendered to police.
The death and other circumstances of Rowan’s murder are tragic and abhorrent, and though her death was a great injustice, it still would also be an injustice if the state carries out a man’s execution in lieu of confining him to life imprisonment. The Catholic Church is strongly opposed to the death penalty because it disregards the sanctity and dignity of human life. If you would like to contact Governor Parson regarding Mr. Collings’ execution, you can reach his office via phone at (573) 751-3222 or email him here.