Apr 09, 2021His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and husband to Queen Elizabeth II, has peacefully died at Windsor Castle. He was 99 years of age. In the past few years, Philip had experienced several health issues, including earlier this year. Pray for his family during this difficult time.
Apr 05, 2021Byron Lewis Black was scheduled to b executed on Thursday, April 8, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. His execution has been indefinitely stayed. Sixty-five-year-old Byron is convicted of murdering 29-year-old Angela Clay, and her two daughters, 9-year-old Latoya, and 6-year-old Lakeishsa on March 28, 1988.
Apr 05, 2021A ferry was hit by a cargo vessel on the Shitalakkhya River outside the capital of Bangladesh. The ferry capsized and at least 25 bodies have been recovered, with nine people still missing. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for the safety of the missing.
Apr 05, 2021An attack by Maoist insurgents has resulted in at least 5 police officers being killed, and another 18 going missing. A search is underway for those missing. The attack occurred in Sukma, in Chhattisgarh state. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for the safety of the missing. Pray for peace.
Apr 05, 2021At least 48 people have died after the train in which they were riding, collided with a vehicle, derailing the train and causing it to roll down a hit. Over 100 people were also injured in the crash. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for healing for the injured.
Apr 05, 2021Flash floods and landslides have resulted din over 100 people dying. The floods and landslides were caused by heavy rains that caused dams to overflow. Dozens are still missing and rescue work is ongoing. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for the safety of the missing and the rescue workers.
Mar 29, 2021Security forces have killed approximately 91 people in the deadliest day of protests against the armed military coup that occurred on February 1, 2021. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for a peaceful resolution.
Apr 05, 2021A leak has been discovered in a reservoir holding several million gallons of water in Bradenton, Florida. Attempts to repair the leak in the reservoir wall have been unsuccessful, leading to evacuations and preparations for the reservoir to collapse, releasing a wall of water. Pray for the safety of everyone in the area. Pray for all working on stopping the potentially devastating problem.
Richard Glossip, Oklahoma
Update: Monday, October 5, 2015 12:30 pm EDT
Richard Eugene Glossip was scheduled to be executed at 3 pm CDT, on Friday, November 6, 2015, at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma. Richard's execution has been stayed. Fifty-two-year-old Richard is convicted in the murder-for-hire plot of 54-year-old Barry Alan Van Treese in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on January 7, 1997. Richard has spent the last 17 years on Oklahoma’s death row.
The execution of Richard has been stayed following a request by Oklahoma's Attorney General Scott Pruitt on Thursday, October 1, 2015. Pruitt requested that all currently scheduled executions be stayed following a mix-up in lethal injection drugs, discovered hours before the execution of Richard on Wednesday, September 30, 2015. That execution was rescheduled for November 6, 2015, before being indefinitely stayed. Pruitt requested the indefinite stays of executions in order to allow "time to evaluate the events that transpired on September 30, 2015." The evaluation will include how drugs that were approved for use in executions were procured, and how it was not immediately noted that the drugs were incorrect. The executions have not yet been rescheduled.
Richard was the seventh of 16 children in his family. He left home at the age of 14 and married for the first time at the age of 16. He and his wife had two children, although the marriage eventually ended. He also had two children with his second wife before that marriage also ended. Richard had no history of aggression and did not have any significant drug or alcohol abuse history. Richard did not graduate from high school but received his GED. He had continuous, gainful employment since the age of 16 until his arrest.
In January of 1997, Richard Glossip was the manager of the Best Budget Inn in Oklahoma City, owned by Barry Van Treese, and lived on the premises. Justin Sneed was a maintenance worker at the hotel, in exchange for room and board. Barry also owned a Best Budget Inn in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and lived in Lawton, Oklahoma. Barry would occasionally visit each hotel. During the last six months of 1996, Barry and his family experienced several tragedies and he was not able to monitor the hotels as closely as he normally did. In the beginning of 1997, Barry chose to audit both hotels, as their were shortfalls. Barry’s wife noticed that there was over $6,000 in shortages from the hotel managed by Glossip, and testified that Barry intended to ask Glossip about the missing money.
On January 6, 1997, Barry left the Oklahoma City hotel and drove to the Tulsa motel. While there, Barry informed the manager that there were several discrepancies at the Oklahoma City hotel and that if Glossip was unable to provide the information, he would be fired. According to the Tulsa hotel manager, William Bender, Barry was extremely upset and planned to have William manage the Oklahoma City hotel if Glossip was fired. Barry returned to the Oklahoma City hotel very early in the morning of January 7.
Shortly after Barry’s return, Glossip approached Sneed and asked him to murder Barry. Gossip said he would pay him $10,000. According to Sneed, this was not the first time Glossip made the request, with an increase in payment amount each time.
Sneed entered the room where Barry was sleeping with a master key given to him by Glossip. Sneed beat Barry to death with a baseball. During the struggle a window was broken. Sneed reported back to Glossip that Barry was dead. Glossip told Sneed to move Barry’s car, pick up the glass on the sidewalk and put it inside the hotel room, and that if anyone asked about the window to tell them two drunks did it. Glossip also helped hide the body.
Later that day, police began looking for Barry after his car was found. Glossip gave conflicting statements to police, who eventually found Barry’s body in his room. Before his arrest, Glossip began selling his possessions in preparation for leaving. He was arrested before he could leave. Sneed, after his arrest, admitted to killing Barry and testified against Glossip in exchange for a life sentence.
Richard Glossip has always insisted upon his innocence. Richard had previously been scheduled to be executed last year, although his execution was stayed due to the Supreme Court of the United States agreeing to hear a case regarding the legality of the Oklahoma execution protocol, specifically the use of midazolam, which has been present in several controversial executions since January of 2014. The Supreme Court ultimately approved the use of midazolam, allowing Oklahoma to give Richard a new execution date.
Richard was scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, September 16, 2015. His execution was stayed by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Richard's execution was stayed to allow time for new evidence, which according to lawyers, can prove that Richard did not hire Justin Sneed to kill Barry Van Treese. Richard's execution was rescheduled for September 30, 2015. His September 30, 2015, execution was stayed by Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin. Governor Fallin issued the 37-day stay because the Oklahoma Department of Corrections received potassium acetate as the third drug, instead of potassium chloride, to be used in Richard's execution. The stay will allow time for the Department of Corrections to determine if "potassium acetate is compliant with the execution protocol and/or to obtain potassium chloride," according to a statement released by Governor Fallin's office.
Please pray for peace and healing for the family of Barry. Please pray for strength for the family of Richard Glossip. Please pray that if Richard is innocent or lacks the competency to be executed, evidence will be revealed before his execution. Please pray that Richard may come to find peace through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, if he has not already.
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