Receia Kollie GoFundMe raises over $31,000 as son is accused of killing Minnesota mom

56-year-old Receia Kollie was allegedly murdered by her son James Kollie Jr., who was charged with second-degree murder on December 5, 2022.

James was arrested on December 2, 2022, by the Moorhead Police Department. A GoFundMe page was launched by the victim’s family. The goal is to raise funds for Receia’s burial rituals. An amount of $31,392 has already been collected out of the required $40,000.

According to the GoFundMe page, Receia Kollie, who was originally from Monrovia, Liberia, became a registered nurse at the age of 54.

Reicia Kollie was a registered nurse and a mother of three. (image via GoFundMe)

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Receia Kollie died of sharp force trauma wounds

On December 1, 2022, an unidentified family member headed to Receia’s place to check on her after she failed to meet her daughter. This was when they discovered the 56-year-old nurse’s body at her Moorhead house. Police officials were immediately called to the scene.

Authorities arrived at the Moorhead house sometime before 11 pm. According to Police Captain Deric Swenson:

“Police believe Receia Kollie was killed earlier in the day.”

Police have also confirmed that they found no signs of a break-in. They discovered that Receia Kollie had died of sharp force trauma wounds. They had not found the murder weapon then.

According to prosecutors, her son James Kollie Jr. fled the scene in her car after murdering his mother. A search for him was on for quite some time. Finally, he was arrested near a laundromat in North Dakota. Police do not yet know why James was found so far away from his Moorhead house.

Several phone records have been found that link the son to the death of his mother. An audio recording was reportedly discovered, in which the 25-year-old said that “he was ready to take [her] life.”

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A GoFundMe page is organized to raise funds for Receia Kollie

The GoFundMe page states:

“The murder suspect is her son, who is currently in custody. He was deeply troubled, and Receia's never-ending efforts to encourage him to turn his life around and seek help, unfortunately, resulted in her death.”

According to the page, Receia Kollie moved to the US in 2001 after fleeing her country due to the Liberian Civil War. She recently became a registered nurse, and was working at Prairie St. John's hospital, Fargo.

Authorities said that James did not show enough emotion or remorse about the fact that his mother was dead. He instead showed “significant anger.” It was also discovered that a few days before the incident, he was arrested and thrown out of the house.

On November 27, 2022, James was taken into custody after he threatened to kill his mom. According to court documents, there were no physical altercations back then, but Receia was scared that he might harm her when his emotions became “volatile.”

He was then charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic assault but was let go. He was also not supposed to make any contact with his mother. Despite this, evidence of several telephonic conversations between them came to light. James reportedly called her from a blocked number.

James could face up to 40 years in prison if he is found guilty of killing his mom Receia Kollie. The GoFundMe page mentions:

“Receia was the pillar of our family, a loving mother, dedicated wife, aunt, and a steadfast friend to many. But, most importantly, she was strong and a woman of faith. She loved God and people and would sacrifice anything for those she loved. The only thing that gives us peace is knowing that she is resting in heaven.”

It further states:

“We cannot imagine our lives without her; words will never describe how much we love and miss her.”

Receia Kollie is survived by her husband, James Kollie, her two daughters, Jemeia and Recemia Kollie, her son, James Kollie Jr., and her mother, Sonnie Boi.