Nov 30, -0001Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has died at the age of 99. His case of death has been reported as complications from a stroke suffered a few days earlier. Stevens served on the Supreme Court of the United States until he retired in 2010, at the age of 90. Please pray for his family and friends during this difficult time.
Nov 30, -0001At a anime studio in Kyoto, Japan, at least 33 individuals were killed, and 36 others injured, after a man allegedly started a fire in the building. Witnesses report that the man was not an employee of the animation studio. The man who started the fire has been arrested. The reason for the fire is unclear at this time. Please pray for the families of the deceased. Please pray for healing for the injured.
Jul 15, 2019Heavy rains and flash flooding has resulted in the deaths of at least 47 individuals, with dozens of others missing and injured. The heavy rainfall has also caused landslides and the destruction of roads, bridges, and homes. Over 10,000 people have been displaced from their homes. Please pray for the families of the deceased. Please pray for all affected.
Jul 15, 2019A 7.3 magnitude earthquake caused panic and damages in Moluccas Islands in Indonesia. This earthquake came a week after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Sulawesi, west of the most recent earthquake. There are no indications that the earthquakes have caused tsunamis, nor are there any reports of deaths. Please pray for the safety of those affected by the earthquakes and aftershocks.
Jul 15, 2019Heavy rains have caused floods and landslides resulting in deaths and several people missing. More rain is expected in the continuing monsoon season. Please pray for the safety of all affected.
Jul 15, 2019A plane carrying skydivers crashed shortly after taking off in northern Sweden. The cause of the crash is under investigation, however, witnesses described hearing strange noises and the plane appeared to be out of control. Please pray for the families of the deceased.
Jul 15, 2019Following the annual Bastille Day military paraded, police clashed with yellow-vest protesters near the Champs-Elysees. Earlier, protesters booed French President Emmanuel Macron. Please pray for peace.
Jul 15, 2019A hotel siege in Kismayo, Somalia by extremist militants ended with the death of 26 individuals including two Americans. Fifty-six other individuals were injured in the attack. All attackers, which have been linked to al-Qaeda linked Islamic terrorist group al Shabab, were killed by Somali troops. Please pray for the families of the deceased. Please pray for healing for the injured. Please pray for peace.
Jul 15, 2019Hurricane Barry, which has been reduced to a tropical storm, made landfall over Louisiana, with Mississippi and Arkansas also receiving heavy rain. While the rainfall has been less than expected, more rain is expected. The storm has resulted in flooding and power outages. Please pray for the all affected.
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.
02 Dec 0001
