As the 10-year mark nears since the heartless Don Collins was found guilty of murder, the haunting deathbed video confession from his victim came into the spotlight once more, revealing the harrowing story.
The shocking crime perpetrated by Collins involved his neighbour Robbie Middleton on what should have been a joyful eighth birthday. Instead, it transformed into a nightmare as young Robbie was restrained to a tree, soaked in petrol by then-13-year-old Collins, and horrifically set ablaze.
Despite sustaining burns on 99% of his body, Robbie miraculously clung to life for over a decade before succumbing to skin cancer resulting from the burns, reports the Mirror. In February 2015, Collins began an arduous 40-year sentence. Outside the courtroom, Robbie’s mother Colleen recounted the unsettling aura surrounding her son’s assailant.
She said: “He just had the deadest looking expression on his face and eyes and they just looked cold. Even as a little child I would look at him and he was expressionless. His eyes were just blank.”
Now, almost ten years following the conclusion of the trial, we revisit this chilling case. Robbie Middleton, whose birthdays were events he cherished, eagerly anticipated his special day on June 28, 1998.
Upon waking, he discovered a new tent among his gifts and planned to see a friend before continuing the celebrations with family in Splendora, Texas. However, on the youngster’s journey home, he was confronted by Collins, his alleged rapist, who two weeks prior had subjected him to a horrific ordeal.
Collins, fearful that Robbie would expose him, committed a heinous act. With gasoline in hand, he set Robbie ablaze.
Despite his skin melting away, Robbie mustered the strength to stumble out of the woods and towards his home, where his mother would discover him. She was met with a sight no parent should ever have to endure: her little boy, severely burned and unrecognisable.
Robbie was rushed to the hospital, where doctors found that only the soles of his feet had been spared from the brutal burns. His chances of survival were slim. Nevertheless, Robbie persevered, undergoing over 150 surgeries and countless skin grafts over the next decade.
Despite his severe disfigurement, he inspired those around him with his remarkable resilience. Robbie even shared his courageous outlook on life, stating: “The past is, well, the past. You must let it go.”
Unfortunately, his condition worsened over time, with repeated surgeries and a diagnosis of skin cancer due to his third-degree burns. Tragically, on April 2011, at just 20 years old, Robbie succumbed to his injuries.
However, 17 days prior to his passing, Robbie created a 27-minute video, revealing the horrific truth about Collins, including the alleged rape weeks before the fire attack. Collins, who had neglected to register as a sex offender, was already in prison for sexually abusing an eight-year-old boy when Robbie’s demise was declared a homicide.
Five months after the heartbreaking death of Robbie, he faced a charge of felony murder based on evidence from a poignant deathbed video. In the harrowing footage, courageous Robbie disclosed: “Don grabbed me by the shoulder and threw gas in my face, after that I don’t really remember anything.”
Collins, who had allegedly once brutally killed a kitten, was taken into custody shortly after the incident but was initially released without charges. It wasn’t until the revelation from the video years later that he asserted his innocence.
Throughout the trial, additional witnesses came forward with claims of his sexual misconduct – some even claimed he threatened to set them ablaze if they spoke out. Robbie’s bereaved mother revealed that there was a stark “perfect outline” of her son burned into a tree following the horrific attack.
At the trial’s conclusion, Collins received a sentence of 40 years incarceration. Colleen, overcome with relief, addressed the media saying, “I am sure Robert is with us and he is happy. He blamed Don, there was no doubt in his mind.”
Sharing her feelings, she continued, “I am just going to enjoy this day and not worry about anything else. I am enjoying the moment, I am very happy.”
Prior to the trial, Robbie’s parents Colleen and Bobby secured a $150 billion judgment in a civil action against Collins. Responding to the symbolic gesture, Colleen stated: “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.”
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