Misty Taylor Collins is the daughter of Mark Collins who was killed along with her three sons by a Texas fugitive named Gonzalez Lopez in a tragic incident.
A convicted murderer who escaped from a Texas prisoner bus last month was killed in a firefight with authorities late Thursday, just hours after he was declared the lead suspect in the killings of four children and an adult in a Leon County home according to officials.
Gonzalo Lopez, 46, had no ties to the family found dead in Leon County, Texas, according to Jason Clark, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s chief of staff.
Mark Collins, 66, and four of his seven grandchildren: brothers Waylon, 18, Carson, 16, and Hudson, 11, and their cousin, Bryson Collins, 11, were killed, according to a family statement sent to CNN by the grandfather’s brother-in-law, David Scarbrough.
Who Is Misty Taylor Collins? Texas Escapee Gonzalo Lopez Killed Her Sons And Father
Misty Taylor Collins is the mother of three children and daughter of Mark Collins, who were all killed by a Texas Escapee named Gonzalo Lopez.
Gonzalo fled the house in a truck that was subsequently damaged with a spike strip in Jourdanton, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark.
Lopez stated he smashed his car and then got into a firefight with officers.”He was equipped with an AR-15 and a pistol and fired numerous shots at authorities,” Clark said, adding that the weaponry was presumably stolen from the Centerville home where the family got killed.
‼️URGENT: DPS confirms escaped inmate Gonzalo Lopez may be responsible for the murders of 5 people in Leon County near where he escaped last month. He may be driving this 1999 white Chevy Silverado with plates DPV4520.
MORE DETAILS: https://t.co/1B7HDrSeZB pic.twitter.com/sNX0bQ5H8d
— Rusty Surette (@KBTXRusty) June 3, 2022
Mark Collins was aware of Lopez’s escape in the area, according to a family acquaintance, and had contacted law authorities before going to the property.
Gonzalo Lopez Charges Explained
Gonzalo Lopez was convicted of capital murder, attempted capital murder, and aggravated kidnapping according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. For those convictions, he was serving two life terms.
Lopez was on the state’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, and authorities were willing to pay up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest.
Centerville, Texas victims.
Authorities suspect they were murdered by prison escapee Gonzalo Lopez.
Mark Collins, 66
Waylon Collins, 18
Carson Collins, 16
Bryson Collins, 11
Hudson Collins, 11
Photos from Crimestoppers of Houston. pic.twitter.com/cI7IPak1EN— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) June 4, 2022
According to the state’s public safety department, Lopez was linked to the Mexican Mafia and had ties to the Rio Grande Valley, including Weslaco and Mercedes, as well as San Antonio.
Is Misty Taylor Collins Dead? Husband & Family
Misty Taylor Collins is not dead and there is no information about her husband as of now. Her father’s name is Mark Collins and her son’s names are Waylon, Carson, and Hudson Collins.
The family was utilizing the Leon County home as a “weekend residence,” according to Clark. Lopez, who allegedly broke into the house and stole a vehicle Clark described as a “farm truck,” is suspected of having no ties to the family, according to investigators.
During a news conference on Friday, family pastor Steve Bezner described the family as “close-knit and deeply religious.” The family’s funeral has yet to be announced.