In the summer of 2021, the life of 18-year-old Braeden James Collins of Pryor, Oklahoma, was tragically cut short. A recent graduate of Pryor High School, Collins had his whole life ahead of him, with plans to become a Marine. He was a young man who found joy in the outdoors, spending his time fishing, camping, and playing baseball, a sport he had been involved in for 12 years.
On the Fourth of July, 2021, Braeden was reported missing after he failed to meet up with someone at a local
store following a vehicle crash near South 490 Road and West 813 Road in Cherokee County. The following day, a grim discovery was made when Cherokee County Sheriff's deputies, following a 'suspicious trail,' located a charred Chevrolet Tahoe. Inside the burned-out vehicle were human remains, which were later identified through DNA comparison as those of Braeden Collins. An autopsy would reveal that the young man had been shot in the back of the head.
The investigation into Collins' death quickly focused on Kiah John Pritchett. It was determined that Pritchett had given Collins a ride after his vehicle accident, with the intention of dropping him off at the Log Store. However, Pritchett returned to his residence alone hours later. A witness later told authorities that Pritchett, a convicted felon, admitted to accidentally shooting Collins, claiming the gun went off by mistake. Investigators also learned that Pritchett had been in possession of firearms around the time of the incident. The burned Tahoe was traced back to Pritchett, who had recently purchased it. Due to the involvement of tribal members, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives took over the homicide investigation. Pritchett was arrested on October 9, 2022, by Cherokee Nation Marshal deputies and ATF agents.
In August 2023, Kiah John Pritchett pleaded guilty to a federal charge of involuntary manslaughter. His defense claimed that a struggle ensued after Collins became angry about the route Pritchett was taking and grabbed a gun in the vehicle, leading to the fatal shot in what he described as self-defense. This account was contested by Collins' family, who pointed to the autopsy result showing he was shot from behind. In May 2024, Pritchett was sentenced to just under a decade in prison as part of a plea deal. The sentencing brought further anguish to Braeden Collins' family, who had hoped for a life sentence and felt the justice system had failed their son. In addition to the prison sentence, Pritchett was ordered to pay restitution.
