Shot and killed her husband Felix Pappalardi on April 17, 1983. A jury found her guilty of criminally negligent homicide, not murder; the judge admonished them for their gullibility. Sentenced to four years in prison, Collins served only two.
[1983, from Collins' testimony in court] Felix was trying to get me to be familiar with (the gun). Something happened that I have no recollection of - a noise, something... and I moved or something, and the gun went off. Time froze for a second when I realized Felix had been hit. I could not remember my own name at that point.
