Murderer who claimed Scientology led him to butcher sister-in-law and boyfriend to death is killed in prison

A convicted murderer who claimed Scientology led him to butcher his sister-in-law and her boyfriend to death with a hatchet, pour acid on their bodies and set fire to their home has been killed in prison.

Kenneth Thompson was found after an “attack” in his assigned housing unit in the Arizona State Prison Complex Eyman, in Florence, Arizona, on Wednesday, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.

Officials said lifesaving measures were administered to the 38-year-old but he was pronounced dead just after 1pm.

His death is now under investigation as an apparent homicide with two other inmates currently suspected of carrying out the attack, reported AZCentral.

The identities of the suspects were not revealed and no further details were given about

the attack.

Thompson had been on death row in Arizona since 2019 when he was convicted of first-degree murder, burglary, arson, criminal damage and tampering with evidence in the brutal double murder of his sister-in-law and her boyfriend back in 2012.

Thompson travelled from his home in Missouri to Arizona and murdered Penelope Edwards and

Troy Dunn, hacking them to death with a hatchet and a knife.

He then poured acid on their corpses, set their home on fire and fled the scene.

At his trial, Thompson claimed he carried out the attack to try to rescue Ms Edwards’

children after learning that one of the children was being seen by a psychiatrist.

Arizona Department of Corrections: Kenneth Thompson hacked his sister-in-law and her boyfriend to death, poured acid on their bodies and set fire to their home

He said he had been raised as a Scientologist and so believed psychiatry was “evil and a scam”.

He was not practising Scientology at the time of the attack.

Thompson’s wife had previously cared for the children while Ms Edwards was in prison and, after they returned to her care on leaving prison, he grew increasingly concerned for them.

He claimed he had planned to travel to her home to convince her to let him care for the children and only had a hatchet with him because he was planning a camping trip.

But they got into an argument and things turned violent, he claimed.

The victims’ charred bodies were found inside the home after neighbours reported a fire.

Thompson was captured by police driving along an interstate headed back to his home.

A bloodied knife and hatchet with human hair on it was found inside his vehicle.

Reference: Independent: Rachel Sharp 

Catholic leader calls on government to keep churches open amid Covid surge

The Archbishop of Westminster and leader of Catholics in England and Wales has urged Boris Johnson’s government not to reintroduce restrictions on churches amid record Covid infection rates.

Data published on Thursday, suggesting the Omicron strain might cause less severe illness than the Delta variant, has fuelled speculation that the prime minister will resist imposing further curbs after Christmas.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols said it was clear that large spaces such as churches were “not places where we spread the virus”.

“I would sincerely appeal that they do not again consider closing churches and places of worship,” the archbishop told the BBC prior to midnight mass at Westminster Cathedral.

“I think this country has shown that people can make good judgements themselves,” he added.

“We’re at that point of saying we understand the risk. We know what we should do. Most people are sensible and cautious. We don’t need stronger impositions to teach us what to do.”

It comes after a further 122,186 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases were recorded in the UK as of 9am on Christmas Eve, another record daily figure, while 137 people died within 28 days of testing positive.

In Scotland, nightclubs will close for at least three weeks from Monday as part of a package of measures to control the spread of the virus, while clubs in Wales and Northern Ireland will close from tomorrow.

PA Archive: Archbishop Vincent Nichols with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh: - PA

But in England, the government may choose to issue new voluntary guidance on limiting contacts rather than risk another damaging Tory rebellion by recalling parliament to impose new rules.

Mr Johnson has indicated he will not hesitate to act after Christmas if required. Monday is expected to be the first opportunity for ministers to consider whether changes are needed beyond the existing Plan B measures.

Any new restrictions could be in place until late March under measures examined by the government’s scientific advisers.

The latest modelling considered a package of measures including a ban on socialising with another household indoors and a return to the rule of six outdoors, in line with the Step 2 restrictions in place in England earlier in the year.

A consensus paper published on Friday by the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, Operational sub-group of Warwick University experts said, “rapidly enacted Step 2 measures reduce the peak of hospital pressure to about half its level under Plan B only”, but the paper has not yet been seen by ministers. 

Reference: The Independent: benjamin Cooper: