On a tragic afternoon in Pembroke, Virginia, the life of 64-year-old Doretta Faye Riddle Collins came to a violent end. On October 31, 2020, emergency medical services were dispatched to a home on Royal Drive following a call from a man complaining of shortness of breath. What they found upon arrival was a scene far more grim than anticipated.
Inside the residence, first responders discovered 60-year-old Donald Eugene Collins suffering from a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
Elsewhere in the house, they found Doretta Collins, who had died from an apparent gunshot wound. Donald Collins was airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The Giles County Sheriff's Office, assisted by the Virginia State Police, immediately began an investigation into the violent events that had unfolded.
As the investigation progressed, authorities obtained warrants for Donald Eugene Collins, charging him with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The initial belief by law enforcement was that there was no ongoing threat to the public following the incident at the Pembroke home.
Doretta Collins, born on September 17, 1956, in Pearisburg, Virginia, was a dedicated registered nurse who had most recently worked at Radford Health and Rehab. She was an active and cherished member of her community, known for her involvement with the Pembroke Christian Church and the Pembroke Women's Club. Her death sent ripples of shock and sorrow through the community that knew her.
