10-Year-Old Gets Revenge on Killer From The Grave

Katelyn "Katie" Collman, age 10, walked out of her Crothersville, Indiana, home on January 25, 2005, around 3 pm headed to the Dollar General for her mother, who sent her on a run to buy toilet paper. Katie walked the same path to the same store "thousands of times," according to her father, John Neace. Sadly, this would be the last. No one ever saw Katie alive again.

Her mom didn't worry too much when Katie didn't return. She was a popular girl, so Angela assumed her daughter stopped by a friend's house to play. By nightfall, Angie's concern grew when Katie still had not returned. At about 7:30 that evening, Angie searched the neighborhood for her daughter. With no luck finding her, she called the police to file a missing person report.

A Team of More Than 100 Search for Katie

A crowd of more than 100 people gathered to help search for Katie. They searched creeks, wooded areas, and anywhere they thought Katie could be. A helicopter hovered overhead; K9 dogs searched for her scent, picking it up near a set of railroad tracks. Since there was no evidence of abduction, police did not initially issue an Amber Alert until several days had passed.

Police publicly released a composite sketch of a man believed to have abducted Katie. Described as a thin, white male standing 5'8" to 6' tall, between 18–21 years old, police sketch artists created the composite after a witness said he was confident he saw Katie in a white Ford F-150 pickup truck the day after she disappeared.

Katie's Body Found

On January 30, 2005, police found the body of the 10-year-old fourth grader in a pond near Cypress Lake, about 15 miles from her home. Her hands were bound behind her back, and evidence suggested she was the victim of rape. DNA collected from the crime scene and Katie's body confirmed that she was sexually assaulted.

Charles Hickman Arrested

A short time later, a 21-year-old named Charles "Chuckie" Hickman confessed to the murder, claiming he killed Katie after she witnessed a methamphetamine deal near the Dollar General that day. Authorities later determined that his confession was false and dismissed murder charges against him.

Police spoke with Anthony Stockelman after a witness claimed they saw Katie in his white Ford F-150 pickup truck the night Katie disappeared. He passed a polygraph test, so the police let him go.

Anthony Stockelman Charged with Murder, Molestation

In April 2005, police traced DNA from a cigarette butt near Katie's body to Stockelman. He was charged with child molestation and murder in Katie's death.

Anthony accepted a plea deal sentencing him to life in prison for the murder and an additional 30 years for sexual molestation. He accepted the plea deal to take the death penalty off the table but denied all charges against him. He created a blog in which he professes his innocence.

Anthony later filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. He admitted that he killed Katie but claimed to be under the influence of mental or emotional disturbance, citing the recent death of his father. The Supreme Court upheld his original conviction.

Katie's Revenge

On September 19, 2006, 22-year-old Jared Harris, the cousin of Katie and an inmate serving time on a burglary conviction at Wabash Valley State Prison, was transferred to the same wing as Anthony.

After learning Anthony was among the inmates in the wing, Harris repeatedly threatened his life. Harris came close to making good on that threat on September 22, 2006, when he slipped into Anthony's cell, closed and locked the door behind him, and forcibly tattooed "KATIE'S REVENGE" across the sex-offending murderer's forehead.

Authorities charged Harris with battery in the attack. He confessed to forcibly tattooing the tattoo across Anthony's head, saying he did so for revenge for his little cousin. He tossed the tattoo device in the trash after the incident.

Anthony told authorities Harris wrapped his right hand around his throat and told him, "I'm either gonna stick you and leave you bleeding, or I'm gonna tattoo you."

He received an additional seven years tacked onto his sentence.

Two guards lost their jobs at the prison after leaking photos of the man's tattoo. We in the true crime world do thank them for the leak.

A medical provider agreed to remove the tattoo from Anthony's forehead at no cost.

Sources & More Information:

http://infolab.stanford.edu/~paepcke/shared-documents/ContentExtraction/data/cedarExport/taggedDocuments/document_635.raw.html

http://infolab.stanford.edu/~paepcke/shared-documents/ContentExtraction/data/cedarExport/taggedDocuments/document_635.raw.html

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/murder-charge-switched-in-girls-death/531-43c3a631-525c-4bb1-874d-f93b716319fc

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/cousin-of-katie-collman-charged/531-4caccd80-0d25-4611-8e5e-2af7183c6051

https://www.wave3.com/story/5472699/two-guards-fired-after-inmate-gets-katies-revenge-tattoo/

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Collman-54

https://www.wave3.com/story/2895269/resident-crothersville-relieved-after-arrest-in-10-year-olds-killing/