Nestled in the small, unassuming town of Stella, Missouri, in the heart of the Ozarks, nine-year-old Rowan Ford lived a life like any kid would. She shared a modest home in Newton County with her mother, Colleen Munson, and her stepfather, David Spears. 25-year-old David Spears had a long-standing friendship with 32-year-old Christopher Collings, a man who wasn’t family by blood but had become close to the family over the years. Collings moved into the Spears household during the summer of 2007, living in the basement and being looked up to by the young Rowan, who fondly called him “Uncle Chris.” But by late October, Collings left the Spears home and relocated to a farm in Wheaton, Missouri, where he had a trailer parked on the property.  On the chilly evening of November 2, 2007, Nathan Mahurin, another friend of both Spears and Collings, joined the two men at the Wheaton farm. The trio stopped at a local liquor store to stock up on malt liquor before returning to Spear's home to drink and play pool. The following morning, November 3, her mother, Colleen, returned from her shift around 9:00 a.m. to find Rowan missing. At first, she assumed her daughter was somewhere in the house, but after a frantic search, she realized Rowan was gone. 

Join Jen and Cam of Our True Crime Podcast on this episode, ' Snatched As She Slept: Rowan Ford.’

Listener discretion is by @octoberpodVHS

Music is by our EP @theinkypawprint

Sources:
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/mo-supreme-court/1676021.html

https://casetext.com/case/collings-v-state-2

https://www.ozarksfirst.com/crimetraveler/crime-traveler-what-happened-to-rowan-ford/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/12/03/christopher-collings-execution-missouri-rowan-ford/76744499007/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/christopher-collings-missouri-execution-rowan-ford-murder/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/missouri-execution-christopher-collings-rape-murder-b2658052.html

https://krcgtv.com/news/local/parson-state-of-missouri-will-execute-man-convicted-of-rape-murder-of-nine-year-old-girl

https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/breaking-death-row-inmate-christopher-838753

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna21708153

https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/videotape-confession-presented-in-rowan-ford-case/article_16eca7b2-73ee-519c-8000-2d3ed82751c9.html

https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/chris-collings-father-no-matter-what-happens-i-love-my-son/article_e10bdd91-c2d5-5fa5-ad47-fb1b9d65fd00.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/christopher-collings-missouri-execution-rowan-ford-murder/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/02/missouri-execution-christopher-collings

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/12/02/christopher-collings-execution-rowan-ford-missouri/76578296007/

https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/23-6703.html

https://mdcp.nwaonline.com/news/2012/oct/04/murder-charge-dropped-20121004/

https://fox4kc.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-missouri-man-facing-execution-in-the-sexual-assault-and-strangling-of-a-9-year-old-girl/

https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/crime/murder-victims-step-father-where-is-he-now/

https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2024/12/02/missouri-executing-christopher-collings-rape-murder-rowan-ford/76711350007/

https://www.ky3.com/2025/01/14/missouri-lawmakers-demand-firing-rowan-fords-step-father-public-defenders-office/