Patrick Murphy Granted Stay from Texas Execution
icon Nov 07, 2019

Patrick Murphy Granted Stay from Texas Execution

Patrick Henry Murphy, Jr., is scheduled to be executed on 6 pm CDT, on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, at the Walls Unit of the Huntsville State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. Fifty-eight-year-old Patrick has been convicted in the murder 29-year-old Police Officer Aubrey Hawkins on December 24, 2000, in Irving, Texas. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has granted Patrick Murphy, Jr., a stay of execution on grounds of religious discrimination.

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13 Dead in India and Bangladesh
icon Nov 11, 2019

13 Dead in India and Bangladesh

At least 13 individuals have died in the coastal areas of India and Bangladesh due to Cyclone Bulbul. One two million others have been forced to abandon their homes due to flooding, strong winds, and other hazards from the cyclone. Thousands of homes have been destroyed and dozens of people injured. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for healing for the injured. Pray for all those affected.

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3 Killed in Australia
icon Nov 11, 2019

3 Killed in Australia

At least three individuals have been killed, while thousands of others have been displaced, because of bushfires, which have also promised state of emergencies to be declared in two New South Wales and Queensland. In those two states, there are over 120 bushfires burning, with some houses totally destroyed. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for safety for the firefighters. Pray for safety for all affected.

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Bolivian President Resigns
icon Nov 11, 2019

Bolivian President Resigns

Evo Morales has resigned as president of Bolivia, weeks after he was re-elected in a disputed election that sparked violent protests. Morales’ resignation was demanded by the army. Three others also resigned, leaving Jeanine Anez, deputy leader of the Senate to assume power as interim leader until elections can be held. Pray for the nation of Bolivia. Pray for peace.

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Ray Cromartie's Execution Rescheduled
icon Nov 07, 2019

Ray Cromartie's Execution Rescheduled

Ray Jefferson Cromartie is scheduled to be executed at 7 pm local time, on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, Georgia. Fifty-two-year-old Ray is convicted of 50-year-old Richard Slysz on April 10, 1994, in Thomasville, Georgia.

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1 Protester Dies in Hong Kong
icon Nov 11, 2019

1 Protester Dies in Hong Kong

Oone protester has died after he fell from the ledge of a car park. More recently, two opposing protesters have ben critically injured. A Hong Kong protester was shot by the police, and a pro-Beijing supporter was doused in flammable liquid and set on fire. Pray for the family of the deceased. Pray for healing for the injured. Pray for a peaceful resolution.

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Ohio Execution of Cleveland Jackson Rescheduled
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Ohio Execution of Cleveland Jackson Rescheduled

Cleveland Ramon Jackson was scheduled to be executed at 10 am EST, on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Mansfield, Ohio. His execution was rescheduled to Wednesday, November 13, 2019, then rescheduled again to Wednesday, January 13, 2021. Thirty-seven-year-old Cleveland is convicted of the murder of three-year-old Jalya Grant and 17-year-old Leneshia Williams during a robbery on January 3, 2000, in Lima, Ohio.

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Flooding in Yorkshire, England
icon Nov 11, 2019

Flooding in Yorkshire, England

Along the River Don in South Yorkshire, 44 flooding warnings have been issued, as hundreds of homes are already flooded and the forecast calls for more rain. The area is not known for flooding. Pray for the families who are affected. Pray for the area as it recovers.

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  1. Welcome to the Forgiveness Foundation

Updated: Wednesday, May 16, 2018  7:55 pm EDT

 

Texas has carried out the execution of Juan Castillo.  Read more about the execution here.

 

Updated: Monday, May 14, 2018  9:02 pm EDT

 

The Supreme Court of the United States has rejected a request to halt the execution of Juan Castillo.  Juan has also been denied clemency by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.  Their vote was 6-0 against granting clemency.

 

Updated: Monday, May 14, 2018  11:44 am EDT

 

Juan Edward Castillo's execution is scheduled to occur at 6 pm CDT, on Wednesday, May 16, 2018, at the Walls Unit of the Huntsville State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas.  Thirty-seven-year-old Juan is convicted of the murder of 19-year-old Tommy Garcia, Jr., on December 3, 2003, in San Antonio, Texas.  Juan has spent the last 12 years of his life on Texas’ death row.

 

Juan had previously worked as a cook and a laborer.  He was previously convicted of deadly conduct with a firearm.  During the trial, witnesses also testified that Juan was a violent man, threatening and beating the mother of his child.  Additionally, he had previously shot a man during a road rage incident, boasted about similar crimes, and bragged about committing home invasions and robberies.

 

In December 2003, Juan Castillo was dating Debra Espinosa.  Late on December 2, and during the early morning hours of December 3, 2003, the couple was with Francisco Gonzales, a friend of Castillo, and Gonzales’ girlfriend Teresa Quintero.  The four of them created a plan to rob Tommy Garcia, Jr., with whom Espinosa had previously been intimate.  

 

Espinosa was to take Tommy to secluded spot in a residential neighborhood in San Antonio, Texas.  Castillo and Gonzales, in masks and armed with guns, would storm the car and rob Tommy.  Espinosa would play along, as if she were a victim too.  Quintero would serve as the get away driver from Castillo and Gonzales.  During the ensuing robbery, Tommy was shot and killed by Castillo, according to the others.

 

Gonzales was arrested by the police as he fled from the scene, with Espinosa arrested a short time later.  Both agreed to testify against Castillo in exchange for a reduced charge and a sentence of forty years in prison.  Gonzales and Espinosa testified that Castillo took the lead in planning the robbery.  They also testified that he was the person who shot and killed Tommy.

Some of Gonzales’s family members also testified that they heard Castillo confess to the crime and speak of how he hid the evidence.  Two of Tommy’s friends testified that they were with him when he received a phone call to meet up with Espinosa.  Shortly thereafter, they received a phone call from a hysterical Espinosa, who said that Tommy had been shot.  Castillo had also been seen wearing a distinctive necklace that Tommy had been wearing the night he was killed.

 

Castillo was convicted.  During the punishment phase of the trial, Castillo elected to represent himself, a move that was allowed after the court determined Castillo was making a knowing and voluntary decision.  His two appointed attorneys remained as stand-by counsel.  Castillo was sentenced to death.

 

Juan Castillo was previously scheduled to be executed on Thursday, September 7, 2017.  His execution was delayed at the request of the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.  They requested that Juan’s execution be rescheduled due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey days before.  In their request, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office noted that several members of Juan’s legal defense lived and worked in the Houston area, which was hit particularly hard by the hurricane, with torrential rain and flooding.  The request was granted and the execution rescheduled for December 14, 2017.  The December execution was stayed by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in order to all time to investigate false testimony.  Ultimately, it was ruled that the testimony of the witness who recanted was not pivotal to the case.

 

Please pray for peace and healing for the family of Tommy Garcia.  Pleas pray for strength for the family of Juan.  Please pray that Juan is innocent, lacks the competency to be executed, or should not be executed for any other reason, that evidence will be presented prior to his execution.  Please pray that Juan may come to find peace through a personal relationship with the Lord, if he has not already.

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