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Around 5:20, Kendra and Kiara Thompson left Marcus Hill’s house, heading home. Instead of the usual route through residential streets, the girls cut through an old industrial zone about ten minutes shorter. This area lay between two districts. Small warehouses once operated there, but by the mid-80s most had closed. The road was poorly paved with no sidewalks, lighting, crosswalks, and rare traffic—mainly occasional trucks using it as a shortcut.
At the same time, 26-year-old Leon Walker drove a heavy Ford F600 truck on his delivery route. He needed to deliver cargo by 6:30 and was running late. According to Collins and psychologist records, Walker consumed alcohol that day as he had serious drinking problems. Around 5:30, Walker drove along that road, setting sun shone directly into his windshield, creating poor visibility. Walker was speeding because he was behind schedule.
The girls walked along the road’s edge where no sidewalk existed. Walker did not see them in time due to sun glare, alcohol impairment, and excessive speed. The truck, weighing over three tons, struck both sisters simultaneously. Walker stopped and exited the cab. Both girls lay on the road with horrific injuries and multiple fractures.
According to Collins, both girls were dead, but forensic examination cast doubt. The examiner could not state with certainty, but the fractured hyoid in Kiara indicated possibility she was alive when Walker stopped, perhaps unconscious with severe injuries, dying, but still breathing. Walker called his boss, Collins, asking for help. Collins arrived. What happened next remained unknown.
Collins claimed both were dead by the time he arrived. The examiner could neither confirm nor deny, but the fractured hyoid remained fact. Johnson formulated in his final report that grounds existed to believe one victim may have been alive after being struck. Establishing exact sequence and cause of death was impossible due to remains condition and multiple injuries. However, presence of fractured hyoid did not exclude possibility of mechanical strangulation.
What was indisputable that night, Collins and Walker transported bodies to an abandoned mine in McDuffy County and dropped them into depths. In subsequent days, police searched for the girls, but had no hit and run theory. Searches focused on residential streets. Nobody checked the industrial zone. By the time searches expanded, rain had washed away traces.
Walker continued working, but alcoholism intensified. Guilt destroyed him. He tried confessing to his sister and psychologist, but never gave details. Two years later, Collins bribed Captain Harris with $10,000. Harris, as captain, had direct archive access.
In 1987, document control was weak with paper folders and one archivist working intermittently. Harris came to archive under pretext of reviewing the case, removed the folder and destroyed it. No electronic copies existed. In April, Harris officially closed the case under false pretense of information about voluntary relocation. This allowed NCIC record removal. Materials were destroyed.
Harris deposited money and spent it on renovations. Walker died in 2003. Harris died in 2008. Only accidental investigation in 2014 uncovered events almost 30 years later. But the complete truth of what happened in those minutes on that road would never be known.
On April 25th, 2015, the prosecutor held a closed meeting with Viven Thompson. Detective Johnson and journalist Davis attended. The prosecutor explained they needed to tell her everything. He handed her the examiner’s conclusion. Vivian read it, hands shaking—fractured hyoid bone, mechanical strangulation.
She asked what it meant. The prosecutor explained carefully that one daughter, Kiara, may have been alive after being hit. They could not state this with certainty. The expert said the fracture could have occurred from impact, but did not rule out another possibility. After a long pause, Viven quietly asked if her daughter was strangled.
The prosecutor answered they did not know. Collins refused to answer. The expert could not give definitive conclusion. Viven covered her face and wept. Johnson told her they did everything possible but could not prove murder beyond reasonable doubt without definitive expert testimony.
Viven asked if Collins was free. The prosecutor confirmed criminally, yes, due to time passage and lack of proof, but they could pursue civil liability and tell everyone the truth. On May 15th, the Thompson family filed civil lawsuit against Collins for wrongful death, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and concealment. The complaint mentioned the examiner’s conclusion about fractured hyoid and strangulation possibility. Collins’s attorneys understood the case was unfavorable.
Even without criminal charges, civil court had lower burden of proof. Jurors would hear about the fractured hyoid and draw conclusions. On July 25th, parties reached civil settlement. Collins signed agreement officially recognizing responsibility for concealing deaths, paying $200,000 compensation, and not disputing examiner findings. The agreement contained no murder admission but did not deny it.
On August 28th, an official hearing approved the settlement in circuit court. The judge read case facts in open session, including examiner conclusion. Collins attended silently, face expressionless. When the judge read about the fractured hyoid, people gasped. The judge approved settlement.
