Published: June 16, 2006 07:47 am         

Father accused of killing 4-year-old son expected in court today or Monday

Katron Walker, preliminarily charged with murder in connection with the death of his 4-year-old son, Collin, will make his first court appearance today or Monday.

The 33-year-old Terre Haute man remained hospitalized Thursday in the city after being arrested late Tuesday near Blackhawk, where he alleged killed his son and tried to kill his younger son, 2.

Katron Walker suffered injuries to his neck and chest and was under guard by police until his release to custody.

Terre Haute police Capt. Kevin Mayes said police learned Thursday that Katron Walker again would be kept overnight in the hospital.

If he is not released from the hospital by 10 a.m. today, his initial court hearing will be Monday, said Sarah Mullican, chief deputy prosecutor.

Katron Walker allegedly abducted his sons from his father-in-law’s back yard Tuesday morning, the same day the boys’ mother filed a protective order against her husband.

The abduction resulted in an Amber Alert, and a tipster provided information late Tuesday that led police to a lake near Blackhawk.

A bloodhound led police to an abandoned trailer. Katron Walker fled the trailer and ran to the lake holding one child and dragging the other, police said. Police managed to save 2-year-old Monte, but later found Collin’s body submerged in the lake. Collin died of a laceration to the heart, police said. Monte Walker, also hospitalized Thursday, is expected to recover from his injuries.

Sincerest apologies for identification mistake

A photograph on Page A1 of Thursday’s print edition of the Tribune-Star incorrectly identified a woman in the picture as Teresa Walker, mother of 4-year-old Collin Walker, who was killed late Tuesday. The boy’s father, Katron Walker, has been preliminarily charged in his son’s death.

The photograph also appeared Wednesday evening and Thursday morning on the newspaper’s online edition.

The front-page photograph had been graciously submitted to the Tribune-Star by a member of the Walker family on Wednesday. A newspaper staff member who was gathering information and photos for our Thursday edition inadvertently confused the identification of the individual in the picture.

The woman pictured with Collin Walker on Thursday’s front page is Misty Sue Fears, an employee of Lowe’s in Terre Haute. The Walker family frequently attended family programs at Lowe’s, and the photo of Collin was taken with the employee during one of those family programs.

As a service to our readers and to further correct the record, we are publishing elsewhere on this page today a photograph of Teresa Walker and her surviving son, Monte, who was seriously injured in the Tuesday incident.

The Tribune-Star regrets the error and offers its sincerest apologies to the Walker family and friends, and to Misty Fears, for the misidentification.

— Max Jones, editor