Week of March 6, 2006
Yemeni executed for 2002 missionary killings
SAN’A, Yemen – The Yemeni gunman who killed three
Southern Baptist medical workers in 2002 was executed by firing squad
last month.
Abed Abdul Razak Kamel was shot in the central
prison of the southern Ibb province as judicial officials observed,
Yemen’s Saba state news agency reported.
Kamel was convicted for the Dec. 30, 2002, shooting
deaths of Jibla Baptist Hospital director William Koehn, physician
Martha Myers and purchasing agent Kathleen Gariety. A pharmacist was
seriously wounded but later recovered. Kamel admitted in court to
coordinating the attack with Islamic militant activist Ali al-Jarallah.
Al-Jarallah was executed Nov. 27 for plotting the medical workers’
deaths and for assassinating a prominent national politician.
NEW YORK – The New York Yankees, though just in
spring training, stepped up to the plate to assist a Bronx church and
its soup kitchen after a break-in.
The Yankees, whose stadium also is in the Bronx,
presented a check for $20,000 to Daniel Dupree and Greater Universal
Baptist Church recently to cover losses the church sustained during
last month’s burglary.
The Yankees “are truly a blessing,” said Dupree, who
has served as Greater Universal’s pastor for 10 of the Southern Baptist
church’s 52 years. “We believe God placed it on their hearts to come
through for us.”
When Dupree arrived at the church on the morning of
Feb. 8, the building had been ransacked; the church’s safe, a
television camera and various office supplies were missing. Dupree
estimates less than $5,000 was stolen from the safe, but the total loss
to the church was around $20,000. There was no sign of a break-in and a
police investigation continues.
Local news stations covered the story of Greater
Universal closing its soup kitchen until the funds were replaced and
security measures could be installed. Because of the Yankees’ donation,
the kitchen, which feeds about 125 people in the Bronx two days a week,
will reopen.