Minnesota man gets 40 years after admitting to killing 10-year-old son, throwing him in river

FILE - In this April 15, 2015 file photo, Pierre Collins, left, leaves court with his wife Yamah Collins, right, and family members in Minneapolis. Collins was sentenced to 40 years in prison Monday, Aug. 3, 2015 in the death of his 10-year-old son. He admitted Monday to striking the boy, binding him with duct tape and tossing him in the Mississippi River near Minneapolis, where the child's body was found weeks later. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDIT; ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT; MAGS OUT; TWIN CITIES LOCAL TELEVISION OUT (The Associated Press)

Louis Karluah, mother of Barway Collins, has tears wiped from her eyes after attending the court hearing of Pierre Collins, father of Barway, on Monday, Aug. 3, 2015 in Minneapolis, Minn. Collins, charged with killing his 10-year-old son and throwing the boy in the river has been sentenced to 40 years in prison. (Jerry Holt /Star Tribune via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT; ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT; MAGS OUT; TWIN CITIES LOCAL TELEVISION OUT (The Associated Press)

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota father charged with killing his 10-year-old son and throwing the boy in the river has been sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Pierre Collins long denied any involvement in the death of his son, Barway. But he admitted Monday to striking the boy, bounding him with duct tape and tossing him in the Mississippi River near Minneapolis, where the child's body was found weeks later.

In pleading guilty to second-degree intentional murder, the 33-year-old Collins stated: "I killed my son."

He was given a longer sentence than usual because the boy was considered vulnerable and because hiding Barway's body was particularly cruel.

Several people wept openly in court, including the boy's mother. She fell out of her chair when Collins admitted to the killing.

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