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
Abel Acosta, Clark
RE: KENT WILLIAM SPROUSE TDCJ #999471
Dear District Clerk:
Enclosed is the Return of the Director of the 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 of the Texas Code of Criminal 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 of Criminal Appeals
Kelly Enloe, Chairman, Classification & Records, TDCJ
CW/cf
Attach
Ourmission is to providepublic safety, promotepositive change in offender
behavior, reintegrate offenders into society, 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 in the40th 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 of lethal substances at the Huntsville
Unit ofthe Texas Department ofCriminal Justice-Correctional Institutions Division at laLJ!~>±lhrr\
p.m. on April 9,2015. The bodyofthe deceasedwas given into the custody of Carnes Funeral Home
agent for the requesting relative. This Certificate and Return ofWarrant (enclosed)is in compliance
with Article 43.23 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.
William Stephens^JJirector
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Correctional Institutions Division
SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO BEFORE ME this the 9th day ofApril 2015.
f*.
CONNIE' E. *
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NotVry V.-tVaL? ^nd ' *"' * NOTARY PUBLIC, Walker County, Texas
My Commission expires: \ { - DL>> 2-Ql~7
QORfG/AJAL
FILED FOR RECORD
Cause No. 26824CR
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 the Mandate from the Court ofCriminal Appeals affirming
theDefendant's conviction in the above styled andnumbered cause, andthe Defendant, Kent
William Sprouse, having beenpreviously sentenced to death by the Courtin the presence of
Defendant's attorneys on February 26, 2004, and there being no stays of execution in effect
on this cause, the Court now enters the following ORDER:
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Defendant, Kent William Sprouse, who has been
adjudged to be guilty of capital murderas charged in the indictment and whose punishment
has been assessed bythe verdict of thejury and judgment of the Court at Death, shall be kept
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
Departmentof Criminal Justice, 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 said Kent William Sprouse
and until the said Kent William Sprouse is dead, such procedure to be determined and
SCANNED
supervised bythesaidDirectoroftheDepartment ofCriminal Justice, Correctional Institutions
Division.
The Clerk ofthis Court shall issue and deliver to the Sheriff ofEllis County, Texas,
within 10 days of the date of this order, a Death Warrant in accordance with this Order,
directed totheDirector oftheTexas Department ofCriminal Justice, Correctional Institutions
Division, commanding him, the said Director, to put into execution the Judgment of Death
against the 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
fy£*M
BOB CARROLL, JUDGE
40th JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
ELLIS COUNTY, TEXAS
ALL IN ACCORDANCE with this Warrant for the execution ofthe sentence of death,
and in accordance with the Judgment and Sentence of this 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 of said 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 District Court, Ellis County, Texas,
on this X0^ day of ^4oMnNoer 2014.
MELANIE P. REED, DISTRICT CLERK
ELLIS COUNTY, TEXAS
BY: fq^^^aA
«F¥
DEPU1
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 COUNTY AFORESAID, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THE
ABOVE AND FOREGOING IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE WARRANT
OF EXECUTION IN CAUSE NUMBER26824CR, ENTITLED THE STATE OF TEXAS
VERSUS KENT WILLIAM SPROUSE, AS THE SAME APPEARS ON RECORD NOW
ON FILE IN MY OFFICE.
GIVEN UNDER MY HAND 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
H^
The above and foregoing Warrant came to hand on the day of
,D. 2014, andimmediately upon receipt of said Warrant I caused it to be
w
delivered tothe Texas Department ofCriminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division, at
Huntsville, Texas, and delivered said Warrant into the hands of the Director of the Texas
Department ofCriminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division, and took from the said
Directora receipt for the said Warrant as follows:
"Received from the Sheriffof Ellis County, Texas, a Warrant for the 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> hpminM,
Director
Texas Department of Criminal
Correctional Institutions Division
Huntsville, Texas
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