Last Words of Christoper Collings Revealed After Execution for Rape, Murder of 9-Year-Old Girl

Christopher Collings, who Ford knew as "Uncle Chris" before her brutal killing, was put to death last night in a Bonne Terre prison and declared dead nine minutes after an injection of pentobarbital, per AP.

In a handwritten final statement before his execution obtained by TooFab, Collings wrote, "Right or wrong I accept this situation for what it is. To anyone that I have hurt in this life I am sorry. I hope that you are able to get closure and move on. Regardless which side of this situation that you are on. You are in my prayers and I hope to see you in heaven one day."

Per the Kansas City Star, Collings' last meal consisted of a bacon cheeseburger, breaded mushrooms, tater tots and a salad.

"We share Chris's desire that his death will provide a measure of closure for the victim's family and that the people hurt by him will be able to carry on," said Collings' attorney, Jeremy Weis, in a statement. "What occurred today, though, was an act of vengeance, but it will not define Chris, nor will it be how we remember him."

Collings was living with Rowan's stepfather, friend David Spears, as well as the child and her mother at the time of the murder.

According to court records, Collings told police he, Spears, and another man were drinking and smoking marijuana the night of Rowan's death, November 3, 2007. He confessed to taking the child from her bed before bringing her to his camper, where he assaulted her.

He allegedly said he didn't intend to kill her, but "freaked out" when she recognized him after seeing his face. Collings then admitted to strangling her to death, before hiding her body in what's been described as a sinkhole or cave. He also burned rope, a blood-stained mattress and the clothes he was wearing.

Spears also reportedly confessed to involvement in the crimes, with docs saying he told police Collings handed him a cord and he killed Rowan. Court docs also say he first insisted Rowan was at a friend's house before ultimately leading police to her body, which was discovered on November 9.

Spears, however, pled guilty to a lesser charge of endangering the welfare of a child and covering up the crime and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was released in 2015, after seven years.

Collings, meanwhile, was found guilty of first-degree murder on March 20, 2012, before he was sentenced to death on March 23.