A court has denied a convicted murderer’s motion to reconsider his life sentence, ensuring Dana Collins, 63, will continue serving life without the possibility of parole. The decision, announced today by State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling, follows Collins’s appeal earlier this year to revisit his punishment stemming from a 1995 murder.
The court upheld the State’s position, agreeing there was no legal basis for reconsideration. Collins’s January 2024 motion was heard in October, with Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Fran Longwell and Lisa Ridge representing the State. Presiding over the hearing, the Honorable Brooke Murdock affirmed that Collins’s sentence will remain life without the possibility of parole.
Crime and Sentencing History
In 1995, Collins lured a man from his home in California, Maryland, and fatally shot him with a crossbow. He later dismembered the victim and disposed of the remains in a school dumpster. The crime shocked the community and led to Collins pleading guilty to first-degree murder in July 1996. The Honorable Marvin S. Kaminetz sentenced him to life without parole.
Collins’s legal battle, however, did not end there. After filing multiple post-conviction motions, the Court of Special Appeals (now the Appellate Court of Maryland) vacated his original conviction in 2002, granting a retrial. At the 2003 trial, Collins entered a plea of “not criminally responsible,” but a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and criminally responsible for his actions. In February 2004, he was once again sentenced to life without parole.
Ongoing Appeals and Legal Motions
Since his 2003 conviction, Collins has pursued extensive legal remedies, filing 15 motions, petitions, and appeals. Each attempt was ultimately unsuccessful in overturning his sentence. In his latest bid, Collins argued for reconsideration of his life sentence. The State, however, maintained during the October hearing that Collins had exhausted all legal avenues. Prosecutors also emphasized that there was no new evidence or legal justification warranting another reconsideration.
The court sided with the State, marking the end of Collins’s most recent challenge.
Prosecutorial Team
State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling praised the work of Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Fran Longwell and Lisa Ridge in representing the State during the 2024 proceedings. Former State’s Attorney Richard Fritz had successfully prosecuted the case during Collins’s 2003 trial. The decision was described as a victory for justice and public safety in St. Mary’s County.
