Harvey Collins: The Path of a Serial Killer

Early Life and First Murder

Born in Portland, Oregon, on October 5, 1925, Harvey John Collins seemed destined for an ordinary life. He was one of several children in the Collins family and was raised in a stable, loving home in Spokane, Washington. His sister recalled him as a "mama's boy," a label that suggested a gentle nature and a harmonious relationship with those around him. However, this peaceful upbringing would take a darker turn.

Collins' life took a patriotic path early on when he enlisted in the Marine Corps. He served with distinction in the Pacific Theatre during World War II, notably participating in the Battle of Iwo Jima. He even brought home a grim souvenir: a katana taken from a Japanese soldier he had killed. Promoted to the rank of Captain, Collins was viewed as an upstanding member of society. But beneath the surface, psychological distress began to brew, possibly a result of PTSD or the traumatic death of his father in a workplace accident.

In 1953, Collins was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, for Army artillery training. On May 15, a seemingly innocuous evening at a roadhouse spiraled into violence. Collins got into an altercation with the escort of Edna Iona Hall, a 37-year-old divorcee from Vine Grove. In an attempt to make amends, he offered to drive Hall home. However, the drive took a sinister turn when Collins stopped on a secluded road, made sexual advances toward Hall, and, upon her rejection, brutally attacked her. He stabbed her in the head with a screwdriver and, in a chilling act, buried her alive in a foxhole, covering her with dirt and sheet metal.

Collins' actions went unnoticed at first. He even flagged down a passing car for help moving his vehicle, which had become stuck in the sand. After burning his clothes back at Fort Knox, he was questioned by the FBI regarding Hall's disappearance. However, he was cleared when several of Hall's friends mistakenly claimed they had seen her alive that night. Her body was discovered eight months later, but her murder remained unsolved for the time being.

Descent into Chaos

The year 1954 marked a downward spiral for Collins. Transferred to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for a tactics aviation course, Collins left behind a suicide note on January 6 and stole a Cessna O-1 Bird Dog from the base's airfield. His erratic flight ended in a crash near Temple, Oklahoma. Although the wreckage was quickly found, Collins had vanished.

Two days later, he surfaced at a Dallas police station and was taken into custody at Carswell Air Force Base. Investigations revealed that Collins had hitchhiked to Wichita Falls, claiming he was heading to Galveston. Despite this bizarre episode, a medical examination found him sane and unharmed, and he was returned to Fort Sill. When questioned, Collins admitted to having suicidal thoughts but claimed no memory of the crash. This incident led to his dishonorable discharge from the military.

Collins moved to Puyallup, Washington, where relatives employed him at their dairy shop. His instability soon resurfaced. On February 7, 1954, at a filling station in Federal Way, Collins shot and killed Edward Morley, a 25-year-old attendant, using a Japanese pistol he had taken as a war trophy.

Then, on March 21, he arrived at a Milton motel and attacked the 67-year-old proprietress, Anna Stolen, with a paring knife. When she attempted to flee, Collins unleashed the katana, severing one of her fingers. Her 74-year-old disabled husband, Andrew, tried to intervene but was slashed to death. Collins attempted to run Anna over with his car, but she managed to dodge him. Her quick thinking provided the police with a description of Collins and part of his license plate number, leading to his arrest an hour later. A search of his car revealed the murder weapon and bloodied clothing linking him to the crime scene.

Trial and Execution

Following his arrest, Collins confessed to Morley's murder and the attack on the Stolens but denied involvement in Hall's murder, insisting he had been cleared previously. However, under FBI interrogation, he detailed Hall's murder in a manner only the killer could know. Despite this confession, Kentucky prosecutors chose not to pursue charges, provided Washington sought the death penalty.

Washington State prosecutor John O'Connell agreed, and Collins' trial was set for June 27, 1955. Drs. Myron Kass and Harlan P. McNutt, two psychiatrists who examined Collins, testified to his sanity during the killings. Despite the defense's efforts, Collins was found guilty of the Stolen murder and sentenced to death.

In a dramatic turn, Collins escaped jail on September 18, alongside six other inmates, briefly finding refuge with Dean Pitsch, a childhood friend and trial witness. However, realizing the futility of his situation, Collins surrendered two days later, ready to face his fate. His attorneys' appeals were ultimately denied by the Supreme Court in 1957, sealing his fate.

On December 3, 1957, Harvey John Collins faced the gallows at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. His final words, "I ask forgiveness for everything I've done," echoed as he was executed by hanging, bringing a grim conclusion to his life and crimes.

Sources

For further reading on Harvey Collins, please refer to the Wikipedia article.