KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The state of Missouri executed Christopher Collings by lethal injection Tuesday evening, the state’s Department of Corrections and his legal team confirmed.

Collings — who was convicted of the 2007 killing of Rowan Ford, a 9-year-old girl in southwestern Missouri — was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. Central time at the state’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, according to the DOC.

“Right or wrong I accept this situation for what it is,” Collings wrote in a final statement. “To anyone that I have hurt in this life I am sorry. I hope that you are able to get closure and move on. Regardless which side of this situation that you are on. You are in my prayers and I hope to see you in heaven one day.”

Collings’ final visit Tuesday was with his spiritual adviser, Rev. Kristen Leslie, from 11:03 a.m. to 12:40 p.m., according to the DOC. His final meal consisted of a bacon cheeseburger, breaded mushrooms, tater tots and a chef salad.

In a statement, his legal team said they shared Collings’ desire that his death would provide closure but said the execution was an “act of vengeance.” They described Collings as a “gentle giant” who had worked hard to develop a relationship with his daughters.

“We will remember Chris with the fondest of memories for the person he truly was and not the way he was characterized by those that did not know him,” they wrote. “Tonight, we say goodbye to our friend, but his generosity, kindness, and gentle spirit will live on in our lives. Until we meet again.”

Both the U.S. Supreme Court and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson denied Collings’ request to intervene and halt the execution Monday.

In an earlier statement responding to Parson’s decision to deny clemency Monday, Collings’ legal team said the decision was “incredibly disappointing” but “entirely predictable” given the governor’s record of denying clemency requests from those on death row.

“In each case of redemption, the Governor has ignored the evidence and sought vengeance,” they said. “Governor Parson purports to believe in redemption, but his grants of mercy seem to apply only to the privileged and politically connected.”

Both Collings and Ford’s stepfather, David Spears, allegedly confessed to the killing of the girl. Spears was convicted on charges of endangering a child and hindering prosecution and served a prison sentence.

Collings’ attorneys have questioned the use of testimony at trial from a police officer who Collings allegedly confessed to and have pointed to Spears’ involvement in Ford’s killing.

They noted Spears was allowed to plead to a lesser offense and receive an 11-year prison sentence, “despite the substantial evidence the State had against Spears including his detailed confession admitting to the murder. The disparity in outcomes between the two men undermine the importance of consistency in sentencing outcomes for equally culpable co-defendants.”

Collings’ attorneys said three jurors had signed affidavits indicating that had they been informed of his life circumstances and Spears’ culpability, they would have voted for life without parole instead of death.

His attorneys said Collings had suffered through “years of depraved” sexual abuse that left him broken and said Collings suffered from brain damage that impaired his functioning.

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(Katie Moore contributed reporting to this story.)

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