Collier gets 74 for Bois D’Arc murder

If Riley Collier makes it out of prison, he will most likely be old enough to file for Social Security. The Republic man was sentenced to a total of 74 years in prison on five felony counts he was charged with in the case of the murder of Stanley Simon II, of Bois D’Arc.
On Tuesday, Aug. 2, Collier pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, armed criminal action, burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm and tampering with a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to life in prison with possibility of parole (30 years) for the murder charge, 15 years in prison each for the armed criminal action and burglary charges, and seven years in prison each for the unlawful possession and tampering charges. According to online court records, he will serve his sentences consecutively. As of press time, he remained in the custody of the Greene County Jail, pending his transfer to the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Collier, 27, murdered Simon, who was found dead in his home on Oct. 24, 2020, as part of a robbery he committed with Patricia Davis and Michael Stauffer, both of Springfield.
According to the probable cause statement in the case, a witness told police that Collier bragged about murdering Simon afterwards, saying that Simon “squirmed a little bit,” at which point, the witness said, Davis laughed and said, “He’s not squirming no more.”
Davis, 19, and Stauffer, 42, were also charged in the murder of Simon. Stauffer pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary on Wednesday, May 11, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Davis also pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary on Nov. 19, 2021 but has yet to be sentenced; her sentencing hearing is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
Collier and Davis were arrested in Webster County on Oct. 24, 2020 after an alleged high-speed chase, and still face charges there. Collier faces charges of second-degree assault, vehicle hijacking, stealing and two counts of resisting arrest. Davis faces charges of being an assessor to vehicle hijacking, stealing and resisting arrest. As of press time, no hearings had been scheduled for those charges.