Murder conviction upheld against man who killed 3-year-old
The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction against a DeKalb County man who said he killed 3-year-old Mitchell Smalls IV when firing at the boy's father in self defense.
Collins and the child's father, Mitchell Smalls III, once ran a dog-fighting business but split up on bad terms. In Debember 2006, as Smalls drove his son to get a haircut, Collins pulled up alongside. Shots were fired and the child was struck in the back of his head. Collins said he fired after Smalls pointed a gun at him, but no gun was found on Smalls or in his car, the court said.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
