The Prayer List (November 2022): Clergy United Against the Death Penalty’s Reports & Prayers on Upcoming Executions
*In partnership with our friends at the For Whom the Bell Tolls Campaign. Learn more about how faith communities in particular can get involved in this effort at https://forwhomthebellstoll.org/
Tracy Beatty is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on November 9 in Texas. He was sentenced to death in 2004 for brutally murdering his mother, Callie Click. During his trial, doctors argued that he suffered from “anti-social personality disorder.” On October 21, Beatty’s attorneys tried to have him evaluated by independent doctors…but the Texas Department of Criminal Justice refused to make the necessary accommodations for the doctors to complete their psychiatric tests. From the information they were able to gather they were able to determine that Beatty is “clearly psychotic and has a complex paranoid delusional belief system.”
Let us pray, “God in your mercy…hear our prayers for Tracy Beatty…soften the hearts of Texas officials…that they might realize that Beatty is an incredibly vulnerable man with significantly diminished intellectual capacity…and be compelled to love their neighbor…and stop this evil execution.”
Further info can be found at https://tylerpaper.com/news/crime/whitehouse-man-texas-death-row-inmate-sues-state-prison-officials-2-weeks-before-execution-date/article_46be5028-53f4-11ed-ba7b-0f8b1a5bc2d1.html
Stephen Barbee is scheduled to be executed on November 16 in Texas. He was sentenced to death for the 2005 murder of Lisa Underwood, her unborn child and her son Jayden. During his trial, Barbee’s attorneys admitted his guilt against his insistence that he was innocent. In McCoy v. Louisiana, the US Supreme Court ruled, “a defendant has the right to insist that counsel refrain from admitting guilt, even when counsel’s experience-based view is that confessing guilt offers the defendant the best chance to avoid the death penalty.” Barbee’s appeals based on McCoy have consistently been rebuffed. In addition to his criminal appeals, Barbee has filed an appeal based on indecision on the part of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) with regards to protecting religious rights of inmates in the execution chamber. To this end, the US District Court in Houston has ruled that the execution cannot proceed unless TDCJ creates a succinct policy for protecting religious rights in the execution chamber.
Let us pray, “Hear our cries oh God. Help us to be more like you each day. In the stillness of this moment, help us to love Stephen Barbee as you love him. May his life be spared as a result of such prayers.”
Further info can be found at: https://www.ketk.com/news/texas/texas-death-row-inmate-convicted-of-murdering-pregnant-woman-son-has-new-execution-date/
Murray Hooper is scheduled to be executed on November 16 in Arizona. Though he had a strong alibi, police corruption was rampant and no physical evidence tied him to the crime, Hooper was convicted of the murder of Pat Redmond and Helen Phelps over 40 years ago. Recently, Murray has been denied the ability to test DNA evidence in the case with updated techniques.
Let us pray, “How long must we wait for justice? Why is Murray Hooper facing execution? Why are we standing by as it happens? Give us the strength of will oh God to save Murray’s life.”
Further info can be found here:
Richard Fairchild is scheduled to be executed on November 17 in Oklahoma. Unfortunately, his execution is also on his 63rd birthday. Fairchild was sentenced to death for the murder of 3-year-old Adam Broomhall. Fairchild has documented brain damage…and suffers from regular hallucinations and delusions.
Let us pray, “In the cruelness of this hour…help us to be love. Grant that we might fight for Richard Fairchild was we would want others to fight for us.”
Further info can be found here: https://www.theadanews.com/news/local_news/clemency-denied-for-death-row-inmate-richard-fairchild/article_ce5ef6d4-82b1-55eb-b399-5a243491ee7a.html
Kenneth Smith is scheduled to be executed on November 17 in Alabama. Smith was sent to death row for his participation in a murder-for-hire plot that killed Elizabeth Sennett. Her pastor husband had paid to have her killed. Smith has fought to overturn his execution based on the idea that, “Alabama did not give him the information necessary to knowingly waive his right to choose execution by nitrogen hypoxia instead of lethal injection when inmates had the opportunity to make that choice in 2018.” This execution is taking place after multiple botched executions in Alabama.
Let us pray, ‘’Why do we work so hard to kill? When we know that you oh God are the God of life. Help us to be about life. May we be the ones who save the life of Kenneth Smith.”
Further info can be found at: https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2022/09/alabama-sets-execution-date-for-man-convicted-in-murder-for-hire-of-pastors-wife.html
Kevin Johnson is scheduled to be executed on November 29 in Missouri. Johnson was sentenced to death for killing a white police officer (who was a known racist that tended to escalate situations in the neighborhood) as a traumatized teen (19) a few hours after the tragic death of his little brother. He is the victim of an unfair legal process, ineffective counsel and racist provocations/practices. In an effort to try to stop the execution, a large campaign for Johnson is seeking to stop his execution.
Let us pray, “Racism continues to kill. Yet, you alone oh God know us all. Help us to love both our neighbor and our self as you love May the cessation of the execution of Kevin Johnson give us hope for a better future.”
Further info can be found at: https://www.stlamerican.com/news/local_news/murder-by-another-name-the-execution-of-kevin-johnson-part-iii/article_e41008fe-5c4a-11ed-bd5d-3f522c8d8b9a.html
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