ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri man facing the death penalty for sexually assaulting and killing a child was a frequent victim of physical and sexual abuse in his youth and has a “structurally abnormal” brain that impairs his judgment, according to a clemency petition filed on his behalf.

Christopher Collings, 49, is scheduled to die by an injection of pentobarbital Tuesday evening at the state prison in Bonne Terre. His would be the fourth execution in Missouri this

Killer with ‘abnormal brain’ set to be executed for the murder of a 9-year-old girl - A Missouri man is facing scheduled execution Tuesday evening for the sexual assault and killing of a 9-year-old gi

Christopher Collings, 49, is set to receive a single injection of the sedative pentobarbital at 6 p.m. CST for the 2007 murder of fourth-grader Rowan Ford, who was dumped in a sinkhole.