Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Brad Livingston

Executive Director

April 14, 2015

The Honorable Melanie P. Reed RECEIVED IN

Ellis County District Clerk C0URT QF CR,M|NAL APPEALS

109 S. Jackson St. 2na floor

Waxahachie, Texas 75165 Af)R J y 2015

AbelAcosta,Clark

RE: KENT WILLIAM SPROUSE TDCJ #999471

Dear District Clerk:

Enclosed is the Return ofthe Director ofthe Texas Department of Criminal Justice Correctional

Institutions Division, of the Death Warrant pertaining to KENT WILLIAM SPROUSE issued

in the 40th Judicial District Court of Ellis County, Texas on November 19, 2014, which was

carried out on April 9, 2015. Also enclosed is the Certificate with the director's statement of

compliance with the command of the warrant. The certificate also indicates the disposition of

the remains as required by Article 42.23 ofthe Texas Code ofCriminal Procedure.

Sincerely,

Carla M. Willis

Deputy General Counsel

OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL

cc: The Honorable Gregg Abbott, Governor

The Honorable Ken Paxton, Attorney General

Louise Pearson, Clerk, Court ofCriminal Appeals

Kelly Enloe, Chairman, Classification & Records, TDCJ

CW/cf

Attach

Ourmissionis toprovidepublic safety, promotepositive change in offender

behavior, reintegrate offenders intosociety, and assist victims ofcrime.

Office of the General Counsel

Sharon Felfe Howell, General Counsel - sharon.howell(S),tdci.texas.gov

P.O. Box 13084 Capitol Station P.O. Box 4004

Austin, Texas 78711-3084 Huntsville, Texas 77342-4004

Phone (512) 463-9899, FAX (512)936-2159 Phone (936)437-6698, FAX (936)437-6994
RETURN OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTIONAL DIVISION

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Came to hand, the 1st day of March, 2004 and executed the 9th day of

April, 2015 by the death of KENT WILLIAM SPROUSE.

DISPOSITION OF BODY:

DATE: fl^Wl °{-.lOtS

TIME: Lp \ £> Qpro

William Stepk^ns, Director

Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Correctional Institutions Division
CERTIFICATE

I hereby certify that the Death Warrant in the case of The State of Texas vs. KENT WILLIAM

SPROUSE issued inthe40th Judicial District Court ofEllis County, Texas onNovember 19,2014

and was executed according to the laws ofthe State ofTexas on April 9,2015. The death ofKENT

WILLIAM SPROUSE was caused by intravenous injection oflethal substances at the Huntsville

Unit ofthe Texas Department ofCriminal Justice-Correctional Institutions Division at laLJ!~>±lhrr\

p.m. onApril 9,2015. The bodyofthe deceasedwas givenintothe custody ofCarnes Funeral Home

agent for the requesting relative. This Certificateand Return ofWarrant (enclosed)is in compliance

with Article 43.23 ofthe Texas Code ofCriminal Procedure.

William Stephens^JJirector

Texas Department ofCriminal Justice

Correctional Institutions Division

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO BEFORE ME this the 9th day ofApril 2015.

f*. CONNIE' E. *

Wn w, weich ' ••*''•'••• - n

~-—-•' 11-06-2017 • ' ^ : ^— —'

NotVry V.-tVaL? ^nd ' *"' * NOTARY PUBLIC, Walker County, Texas •••'• • • •

My Commission expires: \ {- DL>> 2-Ql~7
QORfG/AJAL

FILED FOR RECORD

5824CR

THE STATE OF TEXAS § H£L ANIE rffo ^ THE 4Qth JUDICIAL

§ P?/?cT^CT CLERK VS. § tLLIS COUNTY. TX DISTRICT COURT

§

KENT WILLIAM SPROUSE § ELLIS COUNTY,TEXAS

ORDER SETTING EXECUTION

This Court, having received theMandate from the Court ofCriminalAppeals affirming

theDefendant's conviction inthe above styled andnumbered cause, andtheDefendant, Kent

William Sprouse, having beenpreviously sentenced to death by theCourtin thepresence of

Defendant's attorneys on February 26, 2004, and there beingno stays of execution in effect

on this cause, the Court now enters the following ORDER:

IT IS HEREBY ORDEREDthat the Defendant,Kent William Sprouse, who has been

adjudged to be guiltyof capital murderas charged in the indictment and whose punishment

has been assessed bytheverdict ofthejuryand judgment oftheCourt atDeath, shall bekept

in custody by the Director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional

Institutions Division, until the 9th day of April, 2015, upon which day, at the Texas

DepartmentofCriminalJustice, Correctional InstitutionsDivision, at some hour after 6 p.m.,

in a room arranged for the purpose of execution, the said Director, acting by and through the

executioner designated by said Director as provided by law, is hereby commanded, ordered

and directed to carry out this sentence of death by intravenous injection of a substance or

substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause the death of the saidKentWilliam Sprouse

and until the said Kent William Sprouse is dead, such procedure to be determined and

SCANNED

Cause No. 26824CR
supervised bythesaidDirectoroftheDepartment ofCriminalJustice, CorrectionalInstitutions

Division.

The Clerk ofthis Court shall issue and deliver to the Sheriff ofEllis County, Texas,

within 10 days ofthe date ofthis order, a Death Warrant in accordance with this Order,

directed totheDirector oftheTexas Department ofCriminalJustice, CorrectionalInstitutions

Division, commanding him, the said Director, to put into execution the Judgment ofDeath

againstthe said Kent William Sprouse.

The SheriffofEllis County, ishereby ORDERED, upon receipt ofsaid Death Warrant,

to deliver said Warrant to the Director of the Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional

Institutions Division.

SIGNED AND ENTERED NOV 1 9 20H

BOB CARROLL,

fy£*M

JUDGE

40th JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT

ELLIS COUNTY, TEXAS
ALL IN ACCORDANCE with this Warrant for the execution ofthe sentence ofdeath,

and in accordance with the Judgment and Sentence ofthis said Court, shown herein, which I

certify to be true and correct copies of the original Judgment and Sentence, Mandate, and

Order Setting Execution now on file in my office and entered on the Minutes ofsaid Court.

HEREIN FAIL NOT, but due return make of this Warrant showing how you have

executed the same.

Given under my hand and seal of the 40th Judicial DistrictCourt,EllisCounty, Texas,

on this X0^ day of ^4oM<ir>nNoer 2014.

MELANIE P. REED, DISTRICT CLERK

ELLIS COUNTY, TEXAS

BY: fq^^^aA

DEPU1«F¥
f"'")

CLERK'S CERTIFICATE

THE STATE OF TEXAS §

§

COUNTY OF ELLIS §

I, MELANIE P. REED, CLERK OF THE DISTRICT COURTS WITHIN AND

FOR THE STATE AND COUNTYAFORESAID, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THE

ABOVE AND FOREGOING IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE WARRANT

OFEXECUTION IN CAUSENUMBER26824CR, ENTITLED THE STATEOF TEXAS

VERSUS KENT WILLIAM SPROUSE, AS THE SAME APPEARS ON RECORD NOW

ON FILE IN MY OFFICE.

GIVEN UNDER MYHAND AND SEAL OF OFFICE OF ELLIS COUNTY,

TEXAS, THIS V^ DAY OF UoMe.c^Wc- 2014.

MELANIE P. REED

DISTRICT CLERK

ELLIS COUNTY, TEXAS

BY: engi^^o^.^^X

DEPUTY.
IbgWCJK-.

SHERIFF'S RETURN

The above and foregoing Warrant came to hand on the

H^

day of

w

,D. 2014, andimmediately upon receipt ofsaid Warrant I caused it to be

delivered tothe Texas Department ofCriminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division, at

Huntsville, Texas, and delivered said Warrant into the hands ofthe Director ofthe Texas

Department ofCriminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division, and took from the said

Directora receiptfor the said Warrantasfollows:

"Received fromthe Sheriffof EllisCounty, Texas, a Warrant forthe execution ofthe

Death Sentence to be executed upon the said Kent William Sprouse in Cause Number

26824CR in the 40th Judicial District Court, Ellis County, Texas."

Date Signed•ii-ao>

Director

Texas Department ofCriminal

Correctional Institutions Division

Huntsville, Texas

hpminM,

which said receipt I now return to the office ofthe District Clerk ofEllis County, Texas,

this^£; day of ^Za&>i?s»<&*L- ,AD. 2^7.

SHERIFF c-"^

ELLIS COUNTY, TEXAS