Alabama court upholds death sentence for New Orleans man

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – An appeals court has upheld the capital murder conviction and death sentence of a New Orleans man condemned to die for a contract killing in west Alabama.

The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals turned away a challenge by death row inmate Sherman Collins on Friday.

The 43-year-old Collins was convicted in the shooting death of Detrick Bell in Sumter County in 2012. Evidence showed he was hired to kill Bell, who was shot to death at a small-town rap concert.

Collins claimed the judge who sentenced him to die didn’t give enough consideration to his rough childhood and lack of a father figure.

The court turned away that challenge. It also ruled that the death penalty for Collins wasn’t out of line with the sentence in similar cases.