It is approaching 10 years since an emotionless Don Collins was convicted of murder – after a deathbed video from his victim named him and exposed his sickening motive.
His gut-wrenching crime involved his neighbour, Robbie Middleton, who was celebrating his eighth birthday. But it turned out to be a day from hell for the youngster who was tied to a tree by Collins, then 13, doused in gasoline and set on fire.
Robbie suffered burns covering 99% of his body but remarkably survived for over 10 years until he died of skin cancer caused from being scorched.
In February 2015, Collins was sentenced to 40 years behind bars, and outside court Robbie’s mum, Colleen, said she always sensed something chilling about her boy’s killer.
“He just had the deadest looking expression on his face and eyes and they just looked cold,” she said. “Even as a little child I would look at him and he was expressionless. His eyes were just blank.”
And while it is approaching a decade since justice was served, below we look back on the haunting case.
Robbie Middleton’s birthday
Colleen and Bobby raised three children – the youngest being Robbie. He was known for being someone who “adored” his birthdays and this was no different on June 28, 1998, when the excited little lad woke up early.
Robbie was given a new tent and he wanted to visit a friend before spending the rest of the big day with his loved ones in Splendora, Texas.
But while walking home back to his family, Robbie was stopped by none other than Don Collins, who allegedly raped him two weeks earlier.
Fearing he would reveal what happened, Collins, armed with gasoline, did something horrific.
After being set alight, Robbie, whose skin was melting away, somehow staggered from the woods towards home and was found by his mother.
Her scorched little boy was unrecognisable and would never look the same again.
After being taken to hospital, it became clear that only the soles of his feet were spared the burns and doctors feared he would not survive long.
Robbie underwent more than 150 operations and countless skin grafts, remarkably surviving for the next 10 years.
Despite being severely disfigured, Robbie was an inspiration to his friends and family, who were shocked by his attitude.
The boy even said: “The past is, well, the past. You must let it go.”
But although his positivity was a source of comfort for his family, Robbie began to suffer more and more. He often had to learn how to walk again because growing resulted in new skin grafts and he was eventually diagnosed with skin cancer because of the third degree burns.
Tragically, in April 2011, aged just 20, he died. However, just 17 days before he took his last breath, he made a video where he exposed Collins.
Justice
During the 27-minute video, Robbie claimed Collins raped him weeks before the deadly attack.
Collins, who had failed to report as a sex offender, was already behind bars for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old boy when Robbie’s death was ruled as homicide.
And five months after Robbie’s tragic death, he was charged with felony murder, after the deathbed video was used as evidence. In the clip, brave Robbie said: “Don grabbed me by the shoulder and threw gas in my face, after that I don’t really remember anything.”
Collins, who reportedly once stomped a kitten to death, had been taken to custody days after the attack but was released without charge.
After the bombshell video years later, he pleaded not guilty and during the trial other witnesses accused him of sexual assault – even saying he threatened to burn them if they ever spoke.
According to Robbie’s mum, there was a “perfect outline” of her son’s body scorched into the tree after the gruesome assault.
Collins got the maximum sentence of 40 years behind bars and afterwards a relieved Colleen spoke to the press.
She said: “I am sure Robert is with us and he is happy. He blamed Don, there was no doubt in his mind.”
And summing up her emotions, she added: “I am just going to enjoy this day and not worry about anything else. I am enjoying the moment, I am very happy.”
Before the trial itself, parents Colleen and Bobby were awarded $150billion in a civil lawsuit against Collins.
Reacting to the symbolic gesture, Colleen said: “We’re never going to see any money. What we thought was please let these people realise Robert was previously, like everybody else’s child, and he didn’t deserve this.
“When they came back with the $150billion, I was like: ‘They get it.’ And that made me feel so good.”
