Friends and family have identified the five people allegedly murdered by an escaped prison inmate. They are grandfather Mark Collins, 66, and his four grandsons. Hudson Collins, 11, Carson Collins, 16, and Waylon Collins, 18, were all brothers. Bryson Collins, 11, was their cousin.
“They were bright, shining stars,” said close family friend Harris County Sheriff’s Detective David Crain, according to KTRK. “What happened to the Collins family is unspeakable.”
Andy Kahan, director of victims services for Crime Stoppers of Houston, read a statement from the family on Friday, according to NBC News.
“These precious people who loved and were loved by so many will never be forgotten,” they said. “The impact on their family and friends cannot be overstated.”
So much heartbreak. The Collins family sharing these photos of 66 year-old Mark and four grandsons: Waylon (18), Carson (16), Hudson (11) – all brothers – + cousin Bryson (11). Authorities say they were killed by escapee Gonzalo Lopez at family’s Leon County ranch #khou11 @KHOU https://t.co/gPBCzGVBsa pic.twitter.com/9gLmE3yiL4
— Jason Miles (@JMilesKHOU) June 3, 2022
Gonzalo Artemio Lopez, 46, killed Mark Collins and Collins’ grandsons at the family’s ranch in Centerville, Texas, weeks after escaping from a prison transport bus. He had been serving life sentences for a separate capital murder and attempted murder case when he fled. Authorities have said they think he survived in part by entering homes for food, water, and clothes.
After killing the Collins family, a 1999 white Chevrolet Silverado was missing.
Gonzalo Artemio Lopez
Authorities in Atascosa County said they spotted the vehicle, trailed him, and took out the tires using spikes. There was a short chase and crash, Chief of Staff Jason Clark of…
