Stepfather David Spears & friend Chris Collings Charged with Rape & Murder of 9 Year Old Rowan Ford (Update: Confession)

25 year old David Spears, the stepfather of 9 year old Rowan Ford, and his 32 year old friend, Chris Collins, have been charged with the rape and murder of Rowan Ford. The two were arrested Friday night in connection with the with the 9 year old’s death. From the outset, one has to be suspicious of David Spears as Rowan Ford had gone missing while in her stepfather’s care. Authorities early on had stated that Spears was not cooperating in explaining a lengthy absence that night from the family’s house.

CASSVILLE, Mo. | The stepfather of a 9-year-old girl and another man were charged Saturday with her murder and rape, a day after the body of Rowan Ford was found in a southwest Missouri cave following a week-long search.

Barry County prosecutors charged stepfather David Spears, 25, and his friend Chris Collings, 32, with one count each of first-degree murder, forcible rape and statutory rape. (Kansas City Star)

One has to wonder what possesses people to do such heinous acts that they think they will ever get away with? What happened to 9 year old Rowan Ford is described in the article, “Rowan Ford’s last few hours”.

The same type of cord used to tie-up the goats near Chris Collings camper, allegedly ended Rowan’s Ford’s life.

“One of them stated because she looked up at him,” Sheriff Mick Epperly of Barry County said.

Chris Collings and David Spears allegedly brought her to Collings camper. The sheriff said inside the rundown, dirty camper, the two men raped the 9-year-old.

She reportedly pleaded with them to stop. Investigators believe the two men pulled her out of the camper after they raped her, pulled a cord out of a truck and then strangled her.

What makes two men age 25 and 32 rape a 9 year old and then kill her? Do they really just sit around drinking a beer and say, “let’s rape your 9 year old step-daughter?” Of course this begs the question … how many times may they have assaulted Rowan Ford prior to this?

Based in part on Collings’ statement to authorities Friday, the affidavit Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly sent to the prosecutor alleges that Collings and Spears took Rowan from her home to a camping trailer where Collings lived in Barry County, about 10 miles east of Stella.

There, Epperly said, the men raped Rowan and one of them then strangled her with a cord. Epperly said it wasn’t clear which man strangled her.

UPDATE I: Stepfather, Friend Confess to Killing 9-Year-Old Missouri Girl

Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland says the two men charged with killing 9-year-old Rowan Ford have confessed to the crime.

Ford’s 25-year-old stepfather David Spears of Stella and 32-year-old Chris Collings of Wheaton are charged with one count each of first-degree murder, forcible rape and statutory rape.