A Hennepin County judge has denied a request from Pierre Collins, the 33-year-old Crystal man charged in the death of his son, Barway, to view the boy's body before burial.

Collins' lawyer asked a judge Thursday afternoon to allow him to visit the Minneapolis funeral home handling arrangements and "say goodbye to the son he is charged with murdering," according to a statement from the Hennepin County attorney's office.

Hennepin County District Judge Tanya Bransford denied the request after the 10-minute hearing, citing what she called the "risk to public safety."

Shawn Webb, Collins' lawyer, said Collins wanted the judge to authorize the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office to transport him to the funeral home where he could go to "a secure room and say goodbye to his son," according to the statement.

Attorney Gregory Scanlan, who is also representing Collins, said the request "only seems unreasonable if you assume that he is guilty. And nobody should be doing that."

Barway was reported missing on March 18. Authorities charged Pierre Collins with second-degree murder after Barway's body was recovered from the Mississippi River on April 11.

Vince Tuss — Barway Collins, Star Tribune
Barway Collins

The charges against Collins focus heavily on cellphone signals that provide a detailed account of his whereabouts on the day Barway disappeared.

His next court date will be May 14.

Barway's funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Shiloh Temple in north Minneapolis, according to Pastor Harding Smith, the family's spokesman.

Karen Zamora • 612-673-4647

Twitter: @KarenAnelZamora