Missouri Executes Man Convicted of 2007 Child Murder

Christopher Collings, 49, was put to death by lethal injection after appeals for clemency and a last-minute stay were denied.

Christopher Collings was executed in Missouri for the 2007 rape and murder of nine-year-old Rowan Ford, his friend's stepdaughter.
The execution took place at Bonne Terre prison, where Collings was declared dead nine minutes after the lethal injection was administered.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson and the U.S. Supreme Court both rejected requests to halt the execution, citing the severity of the crime.
Collings admitted to committing the crime under the influence of alcohol and drugs, while another man involved, the victim's stepfather, was not charged with murder.
This marks the 23rd execution in the United States this year, with Missouri accounting for four; the death penalty remains abolished in 23 states and under moratorium in six others.