WEBVTT
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M a wall street line, shackle change, Oh someome girdy,
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it's calling my name. There is no mercy and it's
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been a tentery juice as the huge stream game Rango three.
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Come here be by me a die inside these walls,
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inside the wild.
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And went no girls as.
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I'm hey everyone, and welcome back to Bloody Angola, a
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podcast one d and forty two years in the making,
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the complete story of America's bloodiest prison. I'm Jim Chapman,
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and today I am going to tell you the story
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of someone who is just infamous, not only inside of Angola,
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but also outside of Angola. A little more positive of
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a story today, and that is the life of Eugene
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Bishop Tannyhill. Now Eugene Tannehill was born in Colfax, Louisiana.
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This was in nineteen thirty four. In Colfax is a
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small town. It's near Alexandria, Louisiana, kind of in the
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center of the state. And back in nineteen thirty four
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when Bishop Tannehill was born, this was a very small.
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Town and it still is today.
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So at age twenty five, Tannyhill confessed to the bludgeoning
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of a man to death with a pipe. This was
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in the northern Louisiana parish of Grant Parish, and it
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was during a robbery that he attempted to commit on
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this individual at some railroad tracks. He goes to trial,
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he's convicted, and subsequently he is sentenced to life in
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prison inside a bloody in Gola. Plus he got twenty
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five years four armed robbery. Now and when he goes
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to Angola. This is in the early sixties, y'all. Really,
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this is the peak of the bloody years inside of Angola.
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And not much is out there on Bishop Tannehill's early
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life inside of Angola, but you can imagine how it
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was during that time. I mean, you're fighting for survival
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right now. What is known is that at some point
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early on in his incarceration, Tannyhill becomes a trustee guard
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and it was during this time actually, as he was
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perched inside of a guard tower alone with a rifle
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that he said he felt the hand of God rush
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over him and with it his whole life inside the
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wire would change. And incidentally, this was only four years
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into his sentence. So he would start opening up to
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other inmates about his early life, about the shame he
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thought for what he did that lamed him. Inside of
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Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, he would describe to these
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inmates about how very early in his childhood he would
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start stealing and later he would move to robbing people, which,
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in his words, he would eventually become a hell raiser.
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And it was through God that Tanning Hill began to
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tell his story of murder to other inmates. He would
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describe this crime that sent him to Angola as being
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possessed by the devil. As a matter of fact, listen
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to this clip of Tanny Hill himself discussing just that.
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And I knewed a Pentecosta preacher. I know the Pencosta preacher.
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I know that he had a lot of money with
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him all the time. I shall huh the visitation of
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Satan with victim. Kay, that's the one you're to leave
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on the side road and get it because he has
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a lot of money with him.
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You know, Satan talks.
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You know who I believed that Satan talks. He said,
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y'all live on the side and get him. And I
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sat on on the railroad track one morning between right
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at midday, and I waited for him to come by.
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And when he come by, I took my eye and
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I slaved him. Kill him on the.
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Spot by annerst man. I killed him on the spot,
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striped his body naked, looking for the money.
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Stok his body naked, looking for the money.
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Drunk his body over in the weeds. He was in mayhut,
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and let the flies blowed his body.
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If that ain't D money, but says what if D
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money was it? Let the flies blow his body to
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got dollars sixty three cents. That's all he had, dollar
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sixty three cents. And when it got me half a
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gull and of wine and raised up some hell.
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Now, it didn't take long for word to get around Angola.
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Tanny Hill started to preach and do what he could
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to help save souls inside of the prison. At this
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point he started mentoring others incarcerated, and that's when he
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really became.
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Known as the Bishop.
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And then in nineteen ninety five, Warden Burl Caine would
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arrive an Angola and Burrol Kane would completely transform the prison.
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I've done an episode, actually I've done three episodes on
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Burrol Caine. Can go back and listen to those. But
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he would completely transform this prison by using religion as
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the key component in rehabilitation, and Warden Kane he really
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liked the bishop and he had a tremendous amount of
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respect for him. Tanny Hill would work with Warden Kane
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as four churches were built on the grounds of the prison.
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The bishop, in fact, became so popular that when the
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Academy Award winning documentary The Farm was filmed at Angola,
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Bishop Tannehill was a focal point of that story. And
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in addition to that, when Billy Graham preached at Angola,
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you're talking the preacher of preachers, right, Bishop Tannehill would
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share that pullpit with Billy Graham. Now, Tannehill was also
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one of the first graduates of the Louisiana State Penitentiaries
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Bible College at Angola, and that Bible College would actually
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go on to train dozens of inmates to become preachers.
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And when asked many years later what his thoughts were
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regarding his incarceration at Angola, he would say the opposite
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of what you may think. He would say, rather than
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drown in his sorrows or curse the walls of Angola,
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he would say that Angola actually gave him life, because
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he said life on the outside of prison would have
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absolutely destroyed his soul. He was completely lost. So this
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relationship with Burrell Caane would be a key aspect in
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his quest to gain freedom, and despite his life sentence,
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in two thousand and seven, the bishop would win his
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first round in his effort to secure parole. The Pardon
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Board actually recommended his release once before, in nineteen ninety seven,
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the Pardon Board actually recommended a reduction in his sentence. However,
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at that time the Grant Pairs sheriff opposed it, and
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the governor at that time, Mike Foster, rejected a reduction
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in his sentence, So this was a big step for him.
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Now this time around, a new governor was in office,
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Kathleen Blanco, and she had a history of going with
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what the Pardon Board would recommend. So after several other
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legal hurdles, on August fourteenth, two thousand and seven, after
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forty five years inside of Angola, Eugene Bishop Tanneyhill walked
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out of prison after Governor Blanco signed his pardon papers.
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At this time, he was seventy years old, and it's
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important to me mention Burl Caine spoke very highly of
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Tanny Hill during his pardon board hearing, and the great
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thing about it was he already had a job. He
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was met by the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle right
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outside of the gates of Angola.
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To start his life as a freeman.
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He would travel mentor and convicts all over the country,
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which he would do until his death on October twenty
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third of twenty twenty. So I have his obituary and
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I'm going to read it to you quickly. It reads
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Bishop Eugene Tannehill, son of late Eugene Tenney Hills, Senior
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in Pearl. Tanney Hill was born in nineteen thirty four
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in Colfax, Louisiana. He attended school in the Colfax education system.
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Some years later, Eugene became an ordained bishop and pastor
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of the Inglela Prison non denominational church located in Angola, Louisiana,
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where he was known for leading the inmates in prayer
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for repentance and redemption. God used him to open seven
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churches on the prison grounds of one of the bloodiest
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prisons in the country. Inmates turned their hearts to God
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through the preaching and teachings of the bishop. He preached
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nonviolence and to repent and live a peaceful life quote.
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He had a great impact on Angola's Prison, said Warden
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Burrough Kane. He served as the intercessor for the NOTBS,
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which stands for the New Orleans Theological Baptist Seminary, and
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he mentored several of the graduates. He taught Sunday School
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in Angola as well as several other classes. He received
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many awards and certificates that he proudly held dearly in
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his possession for over fifty years. He was featured in
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a documentary The Farm, produced by his longtime friend Jonathan Stack,
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who created a website on Bishop's life which can be
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found at Bishop Eugene Tannehill dot com, summarizing his life
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and accomplishments. While ministering in Angola Prison, Bishop met lifelong
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friend Terry van Dere, who was resourceful to Bishop throughout
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his tenure and endeavors. Terry supported Bishop and made provisions
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for him through the help of the Lord, to pursue
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whatever goals and dreams he had in serving administering to others.
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In two thousand and seven, Bishop came to New York
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and joined the Brooklyn Tabernacle Church, where the pastor Jim
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Simbala received him into the congregation with open arms and love.
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Pastor Simbala became good friends to Bishop Tannehill and he
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began to work with at risk youth at the church.
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Bishop joined the prison ministry at the church and worked
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with Joshua Smalls as the leader and ministered to surrounding prisons,
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including Rikers Island. After Bishop became known for his website
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and following, he evangelized throughout the country upon request for
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speaking engagement in two thousand and seven. Bishop also met
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the love of his life, Charlene Latini, on January ninth,
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two thousand and nine.
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They were married and remained.
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As a union until his demise on Friday, October twenty third,
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twenty twenty. Bishop was in perfect health until he suffered
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a fall in February of twenty eighteen. From that point
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his health declined and he spent a short time in
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Shoreview's nursing home. Prior to that, he jogged five miles
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a day and rode his ten speed bike daily. His
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favorite quote was a body in jail is better off
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than a soul in prison. After a short stay in
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the nursing home, his wife and family thought it best
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that He spent the remainder of his life in his home,
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where he was made comfortable under hospice home care until
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his demise. Bishop Eugene Tanney Hill leaves his wife Charlene,
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his son Michael Tenney Hill, his stepdaughter Dawn, his step
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son Kevin, two granddaughters, one great granddaughter, numerous nieces and nephews,
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church members, former fellow inmates, and friends throughout Brooklyn, New York,
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in the entire country. So that was his obituary and
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you can obviously see very respected towards the end of
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his life. Now, y'all, it's rare that you'll ever hear
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me say that I agree with a release as it
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relates to someone murdering another human being. I'm just one
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who believes your fate is your fate. If you're sentenced
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to life in prison, you should serve life in prison.
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But this release, which to me is much like the
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Wilbert Rideau release, I get it, it's rare, but I
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think this guy just earned his freedom considering what he
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was doing with his life. I agree with this one.
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So I got a little treat for you today, and
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you won't hear my usual sign off because to end
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this one.
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I'm gonna let you hear Bishop.
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Tannehill's testimony of his life from the man himself. It's
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about fifteen minutes in length, and I know you're gonna
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enjoy it.
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So here's that holy gree din.
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In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. You know I'm
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not gonna friend you hire, because.
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Any one have that sef same spirit of the Lord
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shaving Jesus Christ. We ought to be done, took pace
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in ratorrah and know that Jesus is Lord, and we
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have that self same spirit, that self same spirit that
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bless us all. So we don't thank God that we
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able to sum all ourselves at this evening and his
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brethen in the sight that the visitation of the Holy
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Spirit will be made manifested in our lives and Christ
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will be glorified in this church. You know, this is
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the Church of the Lord Saving Jesus Christ, the church
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that he prajeted with his blood, the church that he sanctified,
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qualified and justified.
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Unto his glory. Now this is good.
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I'm a man.
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I feel it coming on, and it's gonna come on
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because I.
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Am a nine and a pint. It I am a
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nine and a pint it from the throne of Grace,
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not from downhill, but from the throne of Grace. I
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met Jesus, Good God, Almighty. I met Jesus one morning
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at the death house. I met Jesus at the death house.
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Jem praise the name of the Lord. And he sent
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me from the death house to the church house that
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I could represent him and be a witness unto his
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glory through the power of the Holy Gold. Praise him
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wonderful name. Jesus is Lord in a dying hour wall
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under great supplication, Yes, surround it and demanded influence. And
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the Lord was with me, and he brought me to
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and help is the knight standing in the liberty of
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the Lord, Savior Jesus Christ. Why would he have made
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me free? I'm not entangled with the yoga bundance. No,
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I'm not entangled with the yoga bondings. Whatever the spirit
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of Christ drew, there is liberty. If I got a
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witness that tonight, praise the name of the Lord, and
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I thank God right now, Ain't God right now? That's
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a little part of my testimony. And then I'll come
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into the simon. I'm from the South, the Deep South,