Feb 22, 2021Seven people have been killed after a Nigerian military plane crashed short of the runway in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. The plane had previously reported engine failure. The plane was headed to try and rescue 42 people who had been kidnapped. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for the safety of those who have been kidnapped.
Feb 22, 2021Protests continue in Myanmar against the military coup that seized control of the country on February 1, 2021, overthrowing and imprisoning elected government officials. At least two people have died in the protests. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for a peaceful resolution.
Feb 22, 2021At least six students are thought to have died in an attack against a bus in the northern Tigray region of Ethiopia. The identity of the attackers in unknown at this time. The bus was carrying students who had just graduated and was being escorted by soldiers. Pray for the students and their families. Pray for peace.
Feb 22, 2021On much of Israel’s Mediterranean coastline, large globs of tar have washed up, thought to be from a ship spilling oil, which officials are attempting to track. Thousands of volunteers are helping clear the tar and animals. Pray for the safety of the workers.
Feb 22, 2021Troops from both China and India have agreed to pull back troops from a disputed border area. Within the last year, Chinese and Indian troops have clashed, with at least 24 being killed. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for continuing peace.
Feb 26, 2021Ramiro Rubi Ibarra is scheduled to be executed at 6 pm local time, on Thursday, March 4, 2021, at the Walls Unit of the Huntsville State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. Sixty-six-year-old Ramiro is convicted of murdering 16-year-old Maria De La Paz Zuniga on March 6, 1987, in Waco, Texas.
Feb 22, 2021Forty-three-year-old Luca Attanasio, the Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, has died after the convoy he was traveling in came under fire. Two others also died in the attack, which is believed to have been a kidnapping attempt carried out by an unknown group. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for peace.
Kent Sprouse, Texas
April 9, 2015
Kent William Sprouse was executed by the state of Texas on Thursday, April 9, 2015. He was pronounced dead at 6:33 pm CDT, inside the Walls Unit execution chamber at that Huntsville State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. He was 42 years of age. Kent was executed for the murder of Pedro Moreno and 28-year-old Ferris Police Officer Harry Marvin "Marty" Steinfeldt III, which occurred on October 6, 2002, in Ferris Texas. Kent spent the last 11 years of his life on Texas' death row.
Kent, originally from Boone, Missouri, had graduated from high school and worked as a welder, builder, and laborer prior to his arrest. Kent’s mother testified that he became paranoid in 2001, believing that the CIA and FBI were after him. She had him committed to a mental institution for 72 hours in April or May of 2002. After his release, she stated that his condition appeared to worsen. Kent had also abused drugs for an extended period of time. Kent had not previously been convicted.
On October 6, 2002, Kent Sprouse stopped at a gas station and food mart in Ferris, Texas. He was observed to be carrying a shotgun, which he later fired in the direction of the pay telephones, where two men were standing. When approached by a bystander, Sprouse claimed the gun was not real. Sprouse asked the man, Brad Carroll, to help him start his vehicle. Brad initially agreed, but upon seeing boxes of gunshot in Sprouse’s vehicle, Brad determined that the gun was real and left. As he was leaving, he heard another shot observed Sprouse pointing his weapon at a man lying on the ground, bleeding. Brad observed a police vehicle pull in as he was leaving and he heard two more gunshots.
The first shot heard by Brad, struck Pedro Moreno, who was filling his vehicle with gas. Officer Harry Steinfeldt III, dressed in a police uniform and driving a police vehicle, responded to the shooting at the gas station. Officer Steinfeldt first noticed Pedro on the ground, before turning towards Sprouse’s vehicle. Sprouse shot at Officer Steinfeldt, who returned fire after collapsing. Shortly thereafter, Officer Brad Lindsey arrived on the scene and arrested Sprouse without incident. Pedro and Officer Steinfeldt both died from their injuries.
Sprouse was also taken to the hospital, as he had received injuries during the shooting. Hospital staff reported that he was uncooperative while receiving treatment. Sprouse also admitted to have taken marijuana and methamphetamines within 48 hours of the incident. While receiving treatment, Sprouse made repeated references to the “two cops” who “got whacked.”
During his trial, Sprouse and his attorneys alleged that he was suffering from paranoid delusions at the time of the crime and was schizophrenic.
Please pray for peace and healing for the families of Pedro and Officer Steinfeldt. Please pray for strength for the family of Kent Sprouse.
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13 Jan 2015
