Nearly ten years after his shocking, tragic death, Barway Collins’ memorial statue has been unveiled

A statue of Barway Collins was dedicated Saturday morning at Becker Park in Crystal.

It has been almost ten years since ten-year-old Barway disappeared in March 2015. His body was found weeks later in the Mississippi River and police arrested his father, Pierre Collins, on a charge of second-degree murder.

Pierre pleaded guilty months later to killing his son, after long insisting he had nothing to do with Barway’s disappearance. He is currently serving a 40-year prison sentence.

On Saturday, Barway’s mother, Louise Karluah, saw her son cast in bronze for the first time.

When asked how she felt at that moment, Karluah replied: “Emotional. So sad and so happy at the same time. I’m glad the Crystal community is keeping it alive.”

“This is so precious to me,” she said to community members gathered for the occasion.

Crystal Police Chief Stephanie Revering said she vividly remembers the start of the frantic search for Barway nearly a decade ago, and was there weeks later when his body was discovered bound with duct tape in the Mississippi River.

“I have never experienced such a horrific ordeal in my 26 years as a police officer,” she said after the dedication.

“It’s absolutely surreal,” Chief Revering said, referring to the passage of time.

“And for the community to come together to raise money for a statue that will permanently stand here in honor of his memory is fantastic.”

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As the statue was dedicated, Chief Revering held Barway’s youngest sister, Lucelia, better known as “Lulu.”

She and her ten-year-old brother Teddy are old enough to remember Barway. Nevertheless, two-year-old Lulu kept running towards the boy in bronze and wrapping her arms around him.

“Both, I guess [are] She sees his ghost because she hugs him and says, ‘I love you,'” Karluah said.

“This is so sad for me too. It’s so emotional for me.”

Barway is now a permanent fixture at Becker Park and was designed the way he remembers it – with a big smile.

“He’s one of the cutest kids ever,” Karluah commented. “He was one of the smartest kids[ren] at school, that’s how everyone remembers him, always smiling, so active, so smart at school.”

At least one of Barway’s former teachers was also present.

Karluah thanked the police department for their years of support and the entire Crystal community for creating a permanent way to honor her son.

“A huge appreciation for them,” she said.

“We have a lot of kids that have had something happen to them and people don’t remember it, and people remember my son. So that’s a blessing for me. I am happy and appreciate her at all times.”

The money to commission the statue was a purely grassroots initiative started by former Crystal City Councilman Jeff Kolb and his family. The community raised more than $20,000.

Kolb said the final tally of possible remaining funds is not yet complete. If there are any leftovers, Kolb said, the money will go toward recreational scholarships for local children whose families wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it.