Christopher Collings, a 49-year-old man sentenced to death for the 2007 abduction and murder of 9-year-old Rowan Ford, was executed in Missouri on December 3, 2024. His legal appeals were exhausted after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a stay of execution. This marks the 23rd execution in the United States in 2024, with the Missouri execution being the fourth in the state. The death penalty remains abolished in 23 states, while several others, including Arizona and California, have imposed moratoriums on executions.