CRYSTAL, Minn. (AP) - A body found in the Mississippi River over the weekend has been identified as that of a 10-year-old Minnesota boy who has been missing for nearly a month, and police said Sunday that the boy’s father is a “primary suspect” as the case becomes a homicide investigation.
Authorities said the body of Barway Collins was found Saturday, about 10 feet from the river’s edge in Brooklyn Center. Crystal, Minnesota, Police Chief Stephanie Revering said authorities have electronic evidence that shows the boy’s father, Pierre Collins, was in that area at the time the boy disappeared. She did not elaborate on the nature of that evidence.
“This location is consistent with our knowledge of Pierre Collins’ activities on March 18 and he remains a primary suspect,” Revering said Sunday.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner said the cause and manner of Barway’s death are still being investigated. Revering added that the case is being investigated as a homicide based on the autopsy and information from the medical examiner. She did not elaborate.
Pierre Collins has not been arrested or charged. Revering said authorities have his passport to ensure he stays in the country, and police were stationed at his apartment complex for his own protection.
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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A push to strengthen sexual assault policies at Minnesota colleges is moving through the Legislature, with advocates saying it will provide more options for victims. Some schools already have strong policies, but the bill would extend best practices across Minnesota, said author Rep. Marion O’Neill, R-Maple Lake. Here’s a look at the legislation:
WHAT WOULD THE BILL DO?
Colleges will have a lot more responsibilities if O’Neill’s bill becomes law. They’d have to provide sexual assault prevention and awareness training to students shortly after they started college. Schools would be required to enter into agreements with local law enforcement to better spell out how they’d share information and work together in cases of sexual assault. They’d have to disclose how many reports of sexual assault they get every year, how many were investigated and how many resulted in discipline.
WHY NOW?
O’Neill said the idea for the bill came after a discussion with her daughter, a high school student who takes classes at St. Cloud State University and went through school training on sexual assault prevention. “I wasn’t sure if every campus had done that, and in fact they weren’t doing that,” O’Neill said. The topic has also attracted nationwide attention in recent years, as schools come under increased scrutiny over how they handle reports. President Barack Obama’s administration started a campaign last year to end sexual assault on college campuses.
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HASTINGS, Minn. (AP) - The driver in a crash that killed three Carleton College students last year is charged with a misdemeanor count of careless driving.
The complaint says 21-year-old William Sparks of Evanston, Illinois, was going too fast in wintry conditions. He was driving a sport utility vehicle containing four other students on their way to an Ultimate Frisbee competition on Feb. 28, 2014 when he lost control. The SUV crossed into oncoming traffic and was broadsided by a semi-tractor trailer.
The crash killed 20-year-old James Adams of St. Paul, 21-year-old Paxton Harvieux of Stillwater, and 20-year-old Michael Goodgame of Westport, Connecticut. Sparks and another passenger were injured.
Sparks could face up to 90 days in prison if convicted. A message left at a listing for Sparks wasn’t immediately returned Sunday.
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