Man shoots 71-year-old woman with crossbow, then kills her to rob home, Nebraska cops say

A man shot a woman with a crossbow before killing her and stealing from her home, Nebraska police said. He was later found about 1,000 miles away.

William Collins, 30, fired a crossbow “at a distance” at Linda Childers, 71, outside her Washington County home on Aug. 13, Washington County Attorney Scott Vander Schaaf told McClatchy News.

He then used a rock to subdue her before dragging her inside her home, Vander Schaaf said.

Collins appeared in Washington County court on Dec. 13 and is being held without bond, according to KETV.

He is accused of slitting Childers’ throat and rummaging through her home, stealing her purse, money, shotgun and car, according to KETV, citing investigators.

“He believed that most folks were not in their homes on Sunday morning and his intent was to find either food or other items that he could try to use to sell for value, and that was the initial motivation,” Vander Schaaf said.

An attorney for Collins could not immediately be reached for comment by McClatchy News.

Childers’ body was later discovered by neighbors who performed yard work for her, Vander Schaaf said.

“They were going in to chat with her to make sure that she was happy with what they had done outside,” Vander Schaaf said.

Collins, meanwhile, left Nebraska and drove through the Midwest, Vander Schaaf said.

Law enforcement eventually determined he was somewhere near Galveston, Texas, and he was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in September, according to Vander Schaaf and a Washington County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Collins was extradited to Nebraska, where he was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault and burglary, among other charges, Vander Schaaf said.

Washington County is just north of Omaha.

This story was originally published December 13, 2023 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Man shoots 71-year-old woman with crossbow, then kills her to rob home, Nebraska cops say."