Barway Collins' Father Now Faces 1st Degree Murder Charges
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A grand jury has indicted Barway Collins' father on first-degree premeditated murder charges in the 10-year-old boy's death, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.
Collins vanished from Crystal after school on March 18. He was found dead in the Mississippi River on April 11, with his feet and body bound in duct tape.
His father, 33-year-old Pierre Collins, was already charged with second-degree murder in the death of his son. Last Thursday, a grand jury indicted Pierre Collins on an additional first-degree charge, which reads that he "caused the death of a juvenile male, Barway Edwin Collins, a human being with premeditation and with intent to effect the death of that person or another."
He requested to be temporarily released from custody to attend the boy's funeral, but a judge denied the request, saying Pierre Collins had no legal right to see his son's body.
Barway Collins' funeral was held Saturday, May 2. His mother was flown from Liberia to attend the services after being granted a visa to travel.
If Pierre Collins is convicted, he faces a life sentence in prison without parole.