Judicial News: May 19, 2026

The Nebraska Supreme Court affirmed the Washington County District Court ruling upholding that Washington County did not violate William Collins' right to a speedy trial. In fact, the Supreme Court added more time than the original ruling. Collins is accused in the August 2023 death of Linda Childers of Fort Calhoun. With the courts decision, the case will now proceed to trial. The full decision can be found on the Nebraska Supreme Court Website.

The Washington County Sheriffs office sent out a thank you to County Attorney Scott Vanderschaaf, Chief Deputy County Attorney Erik Petersen, and Nebraska Attorney General's Office for their continued work to bring justice to Linda Childers and her family