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TEXAS (USA): KENT SPROUSE EXECUTED
April 9, 2015: Kent Sprouse, 42, White, was executed.
Sprouse was found guilty of killing a police officer, Harry Steinfeldt, and Pedro Moreno, and sentenced to death on March 1, 2004. On Oct. 6, 2002, according to court documents, Sprouse entered a convenience store with a shotgun hung over his shoulder, and after returning to his vehicle, fired the gun in the direction of 2 men.
Documents stated he was under the influence of methamphetamine.
Sprouse was charged in Moreno's killing, but wasn't tried for it. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review Sprouse's case in November, and no last-day appeals were filed for him in the courts.
Before his execution, Sprouse apologized to the families of his victims and his own family "for all the trouble I've caused everyone." Then he thanked his family members for their support. "I guess that's it," he said. He took several deep breaths after the execution drug pentobarbital began taking effect, then began snoring. Within a minute, all movement stopped. He was pronounced dead 22 minutes later at 6:33 p.m. CDT.
Sprouse is the 5th execution for the State of Texas this year, and the 523rd since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1982, the 11th to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1405nd overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977. (Source: waxahachietx.com, 09/04/2015)
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