Jun 01, 2020Tam Minh Le was scheduled to be executed at 7 pm local time on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, at State Correctional Institute Rockview in Rockview, Pennsylvania. His execution has been stayed by the Philadelphia County Common Pleas Court. Forty-eight-year-old Tam is convicted of the double murder of two brothers, 31-year-old Vu "Kevin" Huynh and 28-year-old Viet Huynh on August 26, 2014, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Jun 01, 2020At least 14 individuals have been killed in El Salvador, due to flooding and landslides from Tropical Storm Amanda. Thousands of people fled their homes ahead of the storm, and there is approximately $200 million worth of damage. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for all affected. Pray for the nation as it works to rebuild and recover.
Jun 01, 2020At least one person has died, and one person remains missing, after heavy rains caused flooding in Salalah, Oman. The flooding has left people trapped, disrupted power supplies, halted traffic, and damaged property. Pray for the families of the deceased and missing. Pray for safety for the missing. Pray for all who have been affected.
May 27, 2020Carlos Trevino was scheduled to be executed at 6 pm local time, on Wednesday, June 3, 2020, at the Walls Unit of the Huntsville State Penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. His execution has been rescheduled to Wednesday, September 30, 2020. Forty-five-year-old Carlos is convicted of the murder of 15-year-old Linda Salinas in a park in San Antonio, Texas on June 9, 1996.
Jun 01, 2020While the coronavirus has greatly reduced the protests being carried out, a new security plan that China is seeking to enforce on the territory has caused protests to resume. The new security law would ban “treason, secession, sedition, and subversion.” Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam has voiced her support for the law. The protests resulted in tear gas and water cannons being used by the police, with over 100 arrested. Pray for peace.
Jun 01, 2020Approximately 30 individuals have been killed when gunmen on motorbikes fired into a crowded cattle market in Kompienga, Burkina Faso. It is unknown who exactly is behind the attack, although there has been a rise in jihadist violence, and similar attacks have been carried out before. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for peace.
May 30, 2020Oscar Franklin Smith was scheduled to be executed at 7:10 pm local time, on Thursday, June 4, 2020, at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institute in Nashville, Tennessee. His execution has been rescheduled for February 4, 2021. Seventy-year-old Oscar is convicted of murdering his estranged wife, 35-year-old Judy Robirds Smith, and her two sons, 13-year-old Jason Burnett and 16-year-old Chad Burnett on October 1, 1989, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Jun 01, 2020Peaceful protests against the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, have, in many areas, turned into violent riots that have looted, burned, and destroyed business across the nation, including in the capital of Washington DC. Numerous injuries have been reported from the riots. Pray for healing. Pray for peace.
Junius Burno, Pennsylvania
Updated: Monday, November 13, 2017 11:15 am EDT
Junius Burno's execution was scheduled to occur at 7 pm EDT, on Friday, November 17, 2017, at the State Correction Institute Rockview in Rockview, Pennsylvania. Junius’ execution has been stayed. Junius was convicted of murdering 45-year-old Carlos Juarbe and 35-year-old Oscar Rosado III, on April 13, 2003, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Junius has seen the last 10 years of his life on Pennsylvania’s death row.
Junius’ execution has been stayed by the US District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania. It was likely stayed in order to allow Junius to complete his appeals.
On April 13, 2003, Mary Meixell called the police saying that she had heard gunshots from next door. Police arrived at the address provided to discover blood on the front steps and the front door ajar. The responding officer entered and discovered Carlos Juarbe, the lessee of the residence, lying in the bedroom doorway. His friend, Oscar Rosado, was lying in the back of the bedroom, curled in the fetal position.
Evidence gathered by the police pointed to Terrence Betha as the suspect. He was arrested on September 12, 2003, and charged him with murder. Betha gave a voluntary statement to police which also incriminated Junius Burno. Betha also alleged that he and Burno were shot at as they fled the apartment.
Betha’s wife confirmed to police that on April 13, 2003, Betha and Burno arrived at the house, with Betha having been shot. Both men refused to provide her with any more information. Betha was taken to a hospital in Philadelphia, where Betha provided false information to the police.
Burno was arrested shortly after Betha’s statement. Burno gave several conflicting reports to the police regarding the murders. He initial claimed that he was innocent, before confessing to the crime. A jailhouse informant, who earned a plea bargain for his information, testified against Burno, claiming that Burno confessed to him while in prison.
Burno was sentenced to death on March 6, 2007.
Junius Burno’s notice of execution was issued by Department of Corrections Secretary John Wentzel, as Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has refused to sign any execution warrants. If the Governor does not sign an execution notice within a specified time frame, state law requires the corrections secretary to issue the execution notice.
On Friday, February 13, 2015, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced a moratorium on executions in the state, until he receives and reviews a report on capital punishment in the state, a report which was ordered in 2011. In his announcement, he called the death penalty in Pennsylvania a "flawed system," "ineffective," "unjust," and "expensive." Read more about the announcement here.
Please pray for peace and healing for the families of Carlos Juarbe and Oscar Rosado. Please pray for strength for the family of Junius. Please pray that Junius may come to find peace through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, if he has not already.
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