SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — A Springfield man has been sentenced following the murder of a woman on Christmas Eve in 2024.

According to online court dockets, Robert Collins, born in 1961, has been sentenced to life in prison following charges of first-degree murder and second-degree arson. Collins pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement with the state.

Previous Ozarks First coverage says that Springfield police found Lois Jones dead at the 2300 block of N. Park Ave. on Dec. 25, 2024.

Police spoke to Collins after discovering Jones deceased in the home, and he told officers to leave the house because he had disconnected a gas line and left a candle burning in the residence.

Collins turned himself in to the police department and was taken into custody. He told officials that he beat Jones to

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