Texas man convicted in childhood crime

GALVESTON, Texas - A Texas man was sentenced to 40 years in prison Tuesday for a childhood attack on a boy who died nearly 13 years later.

Don Collins was convicted Monday of capital murder in the death of Robert Middleton. Prosecutors say Collins was 13 years old when he poured gasoline on Middleton and set him on fire on Middleton's eighth birthday in 1998 near Splendora, about 35 miles northeast of Houston.

Middleton endured years of physical therapy before he died in 2011, shortly before his 21st birthday, from skin cancer blamed on his horrific burns.

Middleton named Collins as his attacker and the older boy was arrested in 1998. Collins spent several months in juvenile detention but was released after prosecutors said they didn't have enough evidence to pursue the case.

But shortly before he died, Middleton gave a videotaped deposition in which he accused Collins for the first time of sexually assaulting him two weeks before the attack. The sexual assault allegation prompted investigators to reopen the case and ultimately charge Collins with murder.

During closing arguments Monday, prosecutors told jurors Collins burned Middleton to silence him and prevent him from telling anyone about the sexual assault.

Defense attorneys argued there were no eyewitnesses and no physical evidence linking the 29-year-old Collins to the crime.

After the guilty verdict was announced Monday, Colleen Middleton, the victim's mother, said her son would be "extremely happy because he was so afraid that Mr. Collins would harm another child," reports CBS affiliate KHOU.

Prior to his sentencing Tuesday, Collins was already behind bars in connection with a separate case in which he was convicted of sexually assaulting another 8-year-old boy.