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Linda Susan Childers, age 71 of Fort Calhoun, Neb.

Born: Jan. 22, 1952, Omaha, Neb.

Died: Aug. 14, 2023, Fort Calhoun, Neb.

Preceded in death by: husband, Michael Childers, grandson, Brandon James Michael Childers, parents, Harold Sr. and Betty Newbanks, sister, Patricia Broyles.

Survived by: sons, Brian (Tessie) Childers, Bennington, Neb.; Michael Todd Childers, Cheyenne, Wy.; daughter, Wendy Sue Childers (Harvey Williams), Edwards, Mo.; brother, Harold Newbanks Jr., Omaha, Neb.; sister, Monica (Randy) Pingel, Dallas Center, Iowa; grandchildren, Paul Williams, Harley Williams, Brooke Childers, Talen Childers and Felicia Monjarez, many nieces and nephews.

VISITATION: 10–11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 at St. John The Baptist Catholic Church’s Schwertley Hall.

MEMORIAL SERVICE: 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023 immediately following the Visitation, also at Schwertley Hall.

INURNMENT: Private

Memorials suggested to: BDSRA Foundation, Box 30049, Gahanna, OH 43230, or Washington County Sheriff’s Dep.t, or Douglas County Sheriff’s Dept.

Sievers-Sprick Funeral Home Fort Calhoun, NE 68023 402-468-5678

www.sieverssprickfuneralhome.com

#2-Posted Monday, August 14, 2022

By Cheyenne Alexis - features@enterprisepub.com

A suspicious death Monday morning has been ruled a homicide by the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Douglas County Crime Lab, according to a press release from Washington County Sheriff Mike Robinson.

The Sheriff's office responded to a call at 1:19 a.m. on Monday in response to an elderly woman who appeared to be deceased at her home in the 6500 block of County Road P43 just outside of Fort Calhoun, the release states.

The woman was identified as 71-year-old Linda Childers.

"First responding officers and a paramedic from the Fort Calhoun Fire and Rescue responded to the scene where the paramedic pronounced the woman dead," the release reads.

"Detectives from the Washington County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and the investigation determined the victim died as the result of a homicide. The Douglas County Crime Lab responded and processed the scene."

The WCSO is also asking for help in locating the victim's stolen vehicle, a burgundy 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, license 29-K826.

#3-Posted Friday, September 1, 2023 2:12 pm

By Cheyenne Alexis - features@enterprisepub.com

A suspect has been identified, arrested and charged with killing 71-year-old Linda Childers at her home in Fort Calhoun on Aug. 14.

An arrest warrant was filed for William Paul Collins, 30, who is charged with the following: first-degree murder, a Class 1 felony; two counts of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, a Class 2 felony; first-degree assault, a Class 2 felony; burglary, a Class 2A felony; stolen firearm, a Class 2A felony; and theft by unlawful taking, also a Class 2A felony.

During a press conference held at 11:30 a.m. Friday at the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Washington County Attorney Scott Vander Schaaf and Sheriff Mike Robinson discussed the incident and how Collins was identified as the defendant.

On Wednesday, a reporting party in Indiana called the Sheriff's Office to inform that Collins had called them and provided information regarding the homicide.

"Mr. Collins has been located and taken into custody. He is currently in the state of Texas (Galveston County), where he is awaiting extradition to the state of Nebraska," Vander Schaaf said. "(The reporting party) provided some assistance to who this individual was, but did not know his whereabouts. We were able to verify his whereabouts through other means."

Collins is being held on an unrelated charge.

Vander Schaaf said he does not believe there was a connection between Collins and Childers. Collins appeared to have been traveling and living across the midwest, and he eventually located to Nebraska.

"This appears to have been an act motivated by money, and appears to be something that was done out of haste or necessity by Mr. Collins," he said. "We have limited information about Mr. Collins at this time.

"We are not certain exactly where Mr. Collins was staying in the state, we're not certain where he would have gotten to that area right north of Fort Calhoun at this time."

Following the incident, it is believed Collins, who had stolen Childers' vehicle, amongst a stolen firearm, money and other items of her property, left the state and was traveling around the midwest before going to Texas. Collins was found with the vehicle in Texas.

"Two of my detectives were very instrumental in locating him," Robinson explained.

"Ultimately, the folks at Washington County Sheriff's (Office) were able to not only develop the leads on Mr. Collins, but were able to also assist in finding him when he was located in Texas," Vander Schaaf added.

Robinson said there were nine deputies working the case, accumulating more than 1,700 man hours investigating.

Vander Schaaf noted several agencies assisted with investigating the case: the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff's Department, U.S. Marshals, Saunders County Sheriff's Office and the Douglas County Attorney's Office.

"I would... like to send my deepest condolences to the Childers family, relatives, friends, for their loss in this matter," Vander Schaaf said. "I want to ensure the public we live in a safe community, that our law enforcement worked tirelessly to ensure we are protected and safe."

Robinson, who grew up in Fort Calhoun and knew Childers, described her as a friendly individual.

"She was a friend... she and her husband were very instrumental in the community," he said, noting she and Michael Childers, who died in a car accident in 2021, owned a hardware store and cafe for a number of years in Fort Calhoun. "For something like this to happen makes no sense. This was strictly a random crime of opportunity, and the community was shocked because it happened to somebody like Linda Childers."

At this time, Vander Schaaf said the sheriff's office is not looking into additional suspects at this time.

"That could change, because Mr. Collins is in custody and, it's my understanding, is talking," Vander Schaaf said.

Vander Schaaf said the extradition process will begin once the arrest affidavit is finished.

"If Mr. Collins chooses to come back to the state willingly, he could be here as soon as the next two to three weeks," he said. "Should he resist extradition for whatever legal reason he chooses to, it could be a little longer than that before he comes back to the state of Nebraska and he has his arraignment (in Washington County Court)."

Robinson and Vander Schaaf noted the investigation is still ongoing.

#4-Published by Omaha World-Herald from Sep. 7, 2023

Childers, Linda Susan

January 22, 1952 - August 14, 2023

Linda Susan Childers, age 71, of Fort Calhoun, NE.

Preceded in death by husband, Michael Childers; grandson, Brandon James Michael Childers; parents, Harold, Sr. and Betty Newbanks; sister, Patricia Broyles.

Survived by sons, Brian (Tessie) Childers, of Bennington, NE, Michael Todd Childers, of Cheyenne, WY; daughter, Wendy Sue Childers (Harvey Williams), of Edwards, MO; brother, Harold Newbanks, Jr., of Omaha, NE; sister, Monica (Randy) Pingel, of Dallas Center, IA; grandchildren, Paul Williams, Harley Williams, Brooke Childers, Talen Childers and Felicia Monjarez; many nieces and nephews.

VISITATION: 10 to 11 a.m., Saturday, September 9, 2023, at St. John The Baptist Catholic Church's Schwertley Hall. MEMORIAL SERVICE: 11 a.m., Saturday, September 9, 2023, immediately following the visitation, also at Schwertley Hall.

INURNMENT: Private.

Memorials suggested to: BDSRA Foundation, Box 30049, Gahanna, OH 43230, or Washington County Sheriff's Dept., or Douglas County Sheriff's Dept.

Sievers-Sprick Funeral Home Fort Calhoun, NE 68023 402-468-5678

#5-Published in the Enterprise December 15, 2023

A preliminary hearing was held Wednesday morning in the case of William Collins, who is charged with multiple felonies in the murder of Linda Childers, 71, of Fort Calhoun in August.

Collins, 30, is charged with first-degree murder, a Class 1 felony; two counts of possession of a deadly/dangerous weapon by a prohibited person, a Class 1D and 3 felony; two counts of use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, a Class 2 felony; first-degree assault, a Class 2 felony; burglary, a Class 2A felony; stolen firearm, a Class 2A felony; and theft by unlawful taking, a Class 2A felony.

Collins was located and arrested near Galveston, Texas, after a tip from an individual from Indiana reported he had confessed to killing Childers.

Chief Deputy Washington County Attorney Erik Petersen represented the state in the matter, and presented two witnesses to testify at the hearing: Detective Greg Corns of the Washington County Sheriff's Office and Sgt. Ryan Hinsley of the Omaha Police Department's homicide unit.

Collins was represented by attorneys Pat Dunn and Brian Craig. Corns testified he was called to the scene of the crime in the 6500 block of County Road P43 just outside Fort Calhoun on Aug. 14 at 1:31 a.m. and arrived at 2:17 a.m.

Corns said the home was "in disarray" when he entered, with cabinets and drawers rummaged through. Childers was first located by a family member in her kitchen surrounded by a "large amount of blood."

Blood was found in the kitchen and on the back porch covered up by a rock near the door.

The garage door was open and Childers' vehicle, a 2010 red Chevy Equinox, was gone. Her black purse, a shotgun, $500 in cash, bank notes and jewelry were also missing.

Hinsley, who traveled to the Galveston County Sheriff's Office on Aug. 31 to interview Collins, detailed the incident as described by Collins.

Collins had been staying with acquaintances in Omaha for some time before deciding to make camp in a tent near the rock quarry in Fort Calhoun with his dog.

After about a week, Collins intended to break into a home to collect food, Hinsley said.

"He informed he had his phone during that time," Hinsley said. "At 2:30 a.m. (Aug. 13), he got on Google and found the nearest residence... it was along (P43). And shut his phone off."

Hinsley said Collins cut through the wooded area on County Road P43 around 3 or 4 a.m. and arrived at Childers' home. Collins noted he had experience committing burglaries, and could assess that an elderly woman resided in the home alone.

"He tied his dog up (in the wooded area) and used a knife to cut the screen open to the patio," Hinsley said. "He made an attempt to pry the door open."

Collins was not able to enter the home, and waited until about 10:30 a.m. for Childers to awake.

"He was armed with a Ballista crossbow and knife," Hinsley said. Childers had stepped outside on the patio to smoke, with her back facing Collins. He shot her from about 10 feet away and hit her with an arrow, hitting her left back shoulder.

"(Collins) stated Childers pulled it out of her back and started screaming," Hinsley said. "(And Collins) started running up at her with a knife to try and paralyze her."

Childers attempted to enter the home and lock the door behind her, but Collins entered and knocked Childers to the ground, kicking her in her head and causing her to lose consciousness.

"He looks around the house, and (Childers) comes to. They converse about if she lives alone or with anyone else," Hinsley said.

Hinsley said Collins then shot Childers a second and third time with the crossbow in the neck and face, and then used the knife to kill her.

"'To put her out of her misery,'" Hinsley said.

Hinsley then stated Collins proceeded to take her purse, car keys, shotgun, coins, jewelry and $500 in cash. He left the location and returned to take her vehicle, taking a wig and a pink hat in order to disguise himself as he drove off in the Chevy Equinox.

Corns said the purse was later recovered in Indiana, and said Collins gave the purse to his brother and father who reside in the state. Corns and Detective Brian Beckman traveled to Indiana to retrieve the purse and speak with Collins' family.

On Aug. 30, Collins was found and arrested in San Leon, Texas, just outside of Galveston, inside the vehicle identified as Childers'.

The shotgun was recovered in Omaha on Sept. 5 from an acquaintance of Collins'.

Corns testified that he sat in on Childers' autopsy on Aug. 16, and an object was found via X-ray and removed.

"It was a field tip arrowhead," he said.

Two anonymous tips were made via Crimestoppers. The first tipster, who has remained anonymous, said they had knew the person who killed Childers was William Kai, which is a name Collins uses on occasion, Corns said. During this phone call with the tipster, they revealed Collins has a crossbow, knife and was in possession of a firearm.

It was revealed that Collins had used a crossbow to shoot Childers, a detail that was previously not released to the public.

Collins' phone was searched by law enforcement, revealing that he had purchased a crossbow from Amazon.

Both the crossbow and knife used to kill Childers were retrieved.

A second tip came in from an Omaha hotel manager who identified Collins as a guest on Aug. 14.

Another tip came from Indiana, an old friend of Collins who told law enforcement that he confessed to killing a woman in Nebraska.

Judge Edward H. Matney ruled there was probable cause found during the hearing and ruled to bound the case to Washington County District Court for trial. Collins is scheduled to make his first appearance on Jan. 9.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~