Barway Collins gets memorial statue in park he used to play in

CRYSTAL, Minn. -- A Minnesota child killed by his father is getting a memorial statue in the park he used to play in.

Eight years after 10-year-old Barway Collins' body was found in the Mississippi River, a statue of him has been commissioned to stand in Becker Park in Crystal.

"[It's] supposed to be joyful," said Jeff Kolb, a former Crystal city council member who's leading the project. "The pose will be Barway kind of running as if he were running through the park. It's not a sorrowful or mournful memorial. It's a celebration of the park and a celebration of a child's life."

Collins' father, Pierre, pleaded guilty to his son's murder in 2015 and is serving a 40-year sentence.

Louise Karluah Owens, Collins' mother, is grateful for how her son is set to be remembered forever.

"I'm happy for Crystal, for the Crystal community to even think about doing that," she said. "Mommy loves him and Mommy will always love him. May his soul rest in peace. Thank you for always remembering his name."

Donations for the statue poured in last year with $20,000 being raised in a matter of weeks.

"The community response was overwhelming, which I think is a testament to how the community connected with this case," Kolb said. "As tragic as it was [at the time], we saw the community really pull together."

There's no set date for the statue's dedication and unveiling, but Kolb says the hope is it will be by the end of the summer.