WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT: Robbie Collins, his skin melting away after being doused in flames, miraculously managed to stagger out of the woods toward home where his mother discovered him.
09:57 ET, 14 Jan 2026Updated 03:39 ET, 15 Jan 2026
Robbie Middleton was eight years old when he was tied to a tree and set on fire, he developed skin cancer as a result of his injuries (Image: Family Handout)
A full decade has passed since Don Collins was convicted of murder – a verdict that followed a chilling deathbed video where his victim named him and disclosed his disturbing motive.
His brutal attack targeted his neighbor, Robbie Middleton, who was marking his eighth birthday. What should have been a joyful celebration became a living nightmare for the young boy when Collins, aged 13 at the time, bound him to a tree, poured gasoline over him, and set him on fire.
Robbie suffered burns across 99% of his body but incredibly survived for more than a decade before dying from skin cancer triggered by the extensive burns, reports Daily Express US.
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In February 2015, Collins was handed a 40-year prison term, and following the court proceedings, Robbie’s mother, Colleen, admitted she’d always sensed something profoundly disturbing about her son’s killer.
“He just had the deadest looking expression on his face and eyes, and they just looked cold,” she remembered. “Even as a little child, I would look at him, and he was expressionless. His eyes were just blank.”
Don Collins was eventually jailed after Robbie’s deathbed statement(Image: Police Handout)
As we mark 11 years since justice was ultimately delivered, we revisit this profoundly troubling case.
Colleen and Bobby raised three children, with Robbie as the youngest. He was recognized for his enthusiasm for birthdays, and June 28, 1998, proved no exception as the excited child awoke early, brimming with anticipation.
Robbie had just received a new tent as a gift and was thrilled to visit a friend’s house before heading home to celebrate the remainder of his special day with family in Splendora, Texas. But on his journey home, Robbie ran into Don Collins, who had allegedly attacked him two weeks prior.
Fearful of being exposed, Collins, armed with gasoline, carried out an unspeakable act.
Robbie, his skin melting away after being doused in flames, miraculously managed to stagger out of the woods toward home where his mother discovered him.
Robbie named his attacker on his death bed
Robbie Middleton after the attack(Image: Family Handout)
Her critically burned little boy was beyond recognition and would never look the same again. Upon arrival at the hospital, it was evident that only the soles of his feet had been spared from the burns, and medical staff were pessimistic about his chances of survival.
Robbie endured more than 150 surgeries and countless skin grafts, astonishingly surviving for another decade.
Despite his extreme disfigurement, Robbie’s strength inspired those around him, who marveled at his optimistic spirit. The brave young man once said: “The past is, well, the past. You must let it go.”
Yet, despite his encouraging demeanor bringing solace to his family, Robbie’s ordeal worsened. His physical development frequently necessitated additional skin grafts and relearning to walk, and he was ultimately diagnosed with skin cancer stemming from the third-degree burns.
Heartbreakingly, in April 2011, at only 20 years old, Robbie died. But merely 17 days before his passing, he filmed a video exposing Collins.
He was attacked by a neighborhood boy
Robbie Middleton aged eight and before he was attacked(Image: Family Handout)
In a chilling 27-minute recording, Robbie alleged that Collins had sexually assaulted him weeks before the fatal assault. Collins, who failed to register as a sex offender, was already behind bars for sexually assaulting an eight year old boy when Robbie’s death was ruled a homicide.
Following this tragic event, he was slapped with felony murder charges after a deathbed video, which turned out to be pivotal evidence, surfaced. In the distressing footage, brave Robbie revealed: “Don grabbed me by the shoulder and threw gas in my face, after that I don’t really remember anything.”
Collins, who is accused of once killing a kitten by stomping on it, was arrested just days after the attack but was released without any charges filed.
However, when the damning video came to light years later, he pleaded not guilty, and during the trial, more witnesses stepped forward accusing him of sexual assault – alleging he’d threatened to set them on fire if they tried to report him.
Robbie’s mother recounted how there was a “perfect outline” of her son’s body seared into the tree following the gruesome attack. After receiving the maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a relieved Colleen spoke to reporters.
She said: “I am sure Robert is with us and he is happy. He blamed Don, there was no doubt in his mind.”
Reflecting on her emotions, she added: “I am just going to enjoy this day and not worry about anything else. I am enjoying the moment, I am very happy.”
Before the trial, parents Colleen and Bobby won a $150 billion judgment in a civil lawsuit against Collins. Addressing the symbolic award, Colleen explained: “We’re never going to see any money. What we thought was please let these people realise Robert was previously, like everybody else’s child, and he didn’t deserve this. When they came back with the $150billion, I was like: ‘They get it.’ And that made me feel so good.”