John Norman Collins was born on June 17, 1947, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. 

John Norman Collins was linked to a series of murders in Michigan from 1967 to 1969. The first known victim was Mary Terese Fleszar, a 19-year-old accounting student. She was last seen on July 9, 1967, walking to her apartment. Her body was discovered on August 7, 1967, in Superior Township. An autopsy revealed she had been stabbed around 30 times and had undergone severe mutilation.

The second victim, Joan Elspeth Schell, was 20 years old and disappeared on June 30, 1968. Her body was found on July 5, 1968, and she had been raped and stabbed 25 times. Similarities in the nature of these killings led the police to suspect a serial killer.

In March 1969, a law student named Jane Mixer went missing. Her body was discovered on March 21, 1969. She had been shot and strangled, but there was no sexual assault. In late March, another victim, Maralynn Skelton, a 16-year-old, was found with severe trauma, indicating vicious violence.

Dawn Louise Basom, 13, was the next victim discovered. Her body was found on April 16, 1969, showing signs of brutal stabbing and strangulation. Alice Elizabeth Kalom, a 21-year-old graduate student, was last seen on June 8, 1969, and her body was uncovered shortly after with multiple stab wounds and a gunshot wound to the head.

The final victim, Karen Sue Beineman, disappeared on July 23, 1969. Her naked body was found three days later, revealing that she had sustained extensive injuries. The investigation into these murders resulted in heightened fear among students in the area, leading to increased security measures.

Collins was eventually arrested on July 30, 1969, after witnesses linked him to Beineman’s last known movements. Evidence gathered included hair samples that matched those from Beineman’s body. Despite his protests of innocence, Collins faced trial. On August 19, 1970, he was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Karen Beineman and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Additional investigations linked him to the other murders, but he was never formally tried for them. Collins remains incarcerated, claiming his innocence.