Capital murder conviction upheld in murder case of Robbie Middleton

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A veteran Montgomery County prosecutor says bringing justice to a young boy doused with gas, set on fire, and left to die was his most important case.

This comes after the appellate court in Beaumont upheld the 2015 capital murder conviction and 40 year prison sentence of Don Collins.

It was back in 1998 when Collin, then only 13, was accused of pouring gas on then 8-year-old Robbie Middleton.

The young boy was set on fire after being sexually assaulted by Collins. Middleton died in 2011 from injuries related to his attack.

Montgomery County attorney J.D. Lambright says he's glad to hear the court upheld Collins' conviction.

"When I would see Don Collins’ attitude towards this, how cavalier most of the time during the 7 day trial he sat and read a newspaper in court, it just made me more and more determined with each passing day," Lambright said.

Lambright says Collins could appeal again to a higher court but he's confident the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals won't take up the case.