WESTOVER, Md. - A highway sign was unveiled just outside of the Eastern Correctional Institute (ECI) along route 13 in Collins' honor.
A ceremony was held on Aug. 1 to unveil the highway sign. Family, friends, and community members came out to remember the fallen officer.
Officer Collins was shot and killed in June, 2001 while driving home from his shift at ECI. His murder went unsolved until 2019, when tips led to the arrest of a former ECI inmate, John Michael Ingersoll Jr. A recorded conversation confirmed that Ingersoll killed Collins in retaliation for a perceived grievance during his time at ECI. Ingersoll was sentenced to life without parole in 2021.
Officer Collins served in the United States Marine Corps, U.S Navy Reserves, Maryland National Guard, and served three years with the Maryland Division of Corrections. He is survived by his wife, daughter, father, step-mother, mother, brother, and extended family. A street leading into ECI was also named in Collin's honor.