Judge won't allow father to see Barway Collins' body

Pierre Collins
This April 14, 2015, booking photo provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office shows Pierre Barlee Collins, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death of his son, Barway.
Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP

A judge has refused to allow a Minnesota man accused of killing his 10-year-old son to see his boy's body before the funeral.

Hennepin County Judge Tanya Bransford denied Pierre Collins' request Thursday because of the risk to public safety.

Defense attorney Shawn Webb said Collins, who is jailed on $2 million bail, wanted to go to the funeral home and "say goodbye to his son."

But a prosecutor opposed the request, saying Collins was a risk to flee.

Collins is charged with second-degree murder in the death of his son, Barway. The boy's duct-tape-bound body was found in the Mississippi River by Boy Scout volunteers April 11, three weeks after he was reported missing.

According to a search warrant, investigators say a silver knife was found near the body.

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