Judge deciding if man can be tried as an adult for childhood murder
CONROE, Texas – A Texas man is waiting to learn whether he’ll be tried as an adult for allegedly dousing a boy with gasoline and setting him on fire when he was a teenager in 1998.
Don Collins is accused of pouring gasoline on Robert Middleton during his eighth birthday. Middleton survived but died in 2011 from skin cancer that authorities say was caused by his injuries.
A judge is expected to rule Thursday whether the now 28-year-old Collins will be tried for murder in Middleton’s death.
Collins was 13 at the time of the alleged attack.
A three-day hearing was held earlier this week in Conroe. If the judge rules against prosecutors, that would end the case against Collins.
Collins’ lawyer is questioning the constitutionality of the case.
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