Robbie Middleton was bound to a tree, doused in petrol and set alight by Don Collins in 1998 and is approaching 11 years since he was convincted of the horrific crime
Liam McInerney Content Editor
07:15, 14 Jan 2026
Robbie Middleton was celebrating his 8th birthday when the unthinkable happened (Image: Family Handout)
A full decade has passed since Don Collins was convicted of murder – following a chilling deathbed video in which his victim named him and disclosed his shocking motive.
His brutal crime targeted his neighbour, Robbie Middleton, who was celebrating his eighth birthday. But what ought to have been a day of joy became a living hell for the young boy, who was tied to a tree by Collins, then 13, drenched in petrol and set alight.
Robbie suffered burns to 99% of his body but miraculously survived for more than a decade before dying from skin cancer caused by the extensive burns.
In February 2015, Collins was handed a 40-year jail term, and outside court Robbie’s mum, Colleen, disclosed 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.”
He lost his life over a decade after the attack (Image: Family Handout)
As we mark 11 years since justice was ultimately served, we revisit this profoundly troubling case.
Colleen and Bobby were parents to three youngsters – Robbie being the youngest. He was famous for his enthusiasm for birthdays, and June 28, 1998, was no different as the excited child awoke early with anticipation.
Robbie was given a new tent and was eager to visit a friend’s house before coming home to mark the rest of his big day with relatives in Splendora, Texas. However, on his journey home, Robbie crossed paths with Don Collins, who had allegedly raped him two weeks prior.
Fearing exposure, Collins, armed with petrol, committed a horrifying act.
Robbie, his skin melting from the flames after being set alight, somehow managed to stumble out of the woods towards home where his mother found him.
Her severely burnt little boy was unrecognisable and would never regain his former appearance. Once in hospital, it became apparent that only the soles of his feet had escaped the burns, and doctors were doubtful of his survival.
The monster eventually faced justice (Image: Police Handout)
Robbie endured over 150 surgeries and numerous skin grafts, astonishingly living for another decade.
Despite his severe disfigurement, Robbie’s resilience inspired his loved ones, who were taken aback by his positive outlook.
The brave lad once said: “The past is, well, the past. You must let it go.”
However, despite his uplifting attitude providing solace for his family, Robbie’s suffering intensified. His growth often necessitated new skin grafts and relearning how to walk, and he was eventually diagnosed with skin cancer due to the third-degree burns.
Tragically, in April 2011, aged just 20, Robbie passed away. But just 17 days before his death, he recorded a video exposing Collins.
In the 27-minute footage, Robbie alleged that Collins had raped him weeks before the fatal assault.
Collins, who had failed to register as a sex offender, was already serving time for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old lad when Robbie’s death was ruled a homicide.
He was left unrecognisable after suffering third-degree burns on 99 per cent of his body(Image: )
In the wake of this heartbreaking event, he was slapped with felony murder charges after a deathbed video, which served as pivotal evidence, came to light. 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 alleged to have once killed a kitten by stamping on it, was arrested just days following the attack but was released without any charges being filed.
However, when the damning video surfaced years later, he pleaded not guilty, and during the trial, additional witnesses accused him of sexual assault – alleging he’d threatened to set them on fire if they dared to speak out.
The deathbed video exposed the chilling motive behind the attack (Image: Police Handout)
Robbie’s mum recounted how there was a “perfect outline” of her son’s body scorched into the tree following the gruesome attack.
After receiving the maximum sentence of 40 years behind bars, a relieved Colleen spoke to the press.
She expressed: “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 were awarded $150billion in a civil case against Collins.
In response to the symbolic award, Colleen stated: “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.”