Judge Says Stephen Allwine Was "incredibly cold and incredibly calculating" and "My perception is that you are an actor," during Sentencing Hearing.

Stephen Allwine was sentenced to life in prison today and received a stinging rebuke from the presiding  Judge.

But District Judge B. William Ekstrum told Allwine, 44, that he was "incredibly cold and incredibly calculating" before pronouncing the automatic lifelong sentence that comes with a premeditated first-degree murder conviction.

"My perception is that you are an actor," Ekstrum told Allwine.

The Star Tribune is reporting that their son, who Stephen deliberately let find his dead mother, has made a statement:

Amy's sister, Julie Brown, read a victim statement in court that included a comment from the Allwines' son, who was 9 when she was killed.

"My mom was a good mom. I will always love her and remember her," the boy said.

Statements also were read by Amy Allwine's brother and on behalf of her parents.

See:   Allwine, sentenced to life, insists he didn't kill his wife

Stephen Allwine Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murdering Wife

Prosecutors successfully argued that Stephen’s motive was to collect his wife’s $700,000 life insurance policy, of which he was the sole benefactor.

Allwine will be soon transferred to the St. Cloud Prison to serve his term. 

Amy's family related to the court how they live in fear of Stephen after Amy was killed as her parents reveal how they felt betrayed by him, especially after they let him live with them for two months after Amy's death.

See: Allwine receives life sentence for killing wife, staging suicide 

Amy Allwine's family described the terrifying final months of her life in their statements.  

The summer before her death, Amy Allwine received anonymous emails graphically threatening her family's lives and urging her to kill herself.

Prosecutors said the FBI contacted the family about the emails at the time.

A forensic search of Stephen Allwine's computer revealed searches for the names and addresses of his wife's relatives.

Julie Brown, Amy Allwine's sister, said the FBI warned the threats should be taken seriously.

Tasks like grocery shopping, Brown said, spurred intense anxiety.

Brown said her sister "lived in fear every waking moment of the last months of her life." 

In a written statement, Amy Allwine's parents Chuck and Joanne Zutz said the betrayal they felt as authorities investigated Stephen Allwine amplified their grief.

Stephen Allwine lived in the Zutz's home for two months after his wife's death, the statement said.

Stephen Allwine, United Church of God Elder, Found Guilty Of Murder

The jury just reached a verdict in the Stephen Allwine murder trial.  He was found guilty of 1st-degree premeditated murder in the poisoning and shooting of his wife Amy.

Stephen Allwine found guilty of killing his wife, staging death as suicide

The Washington County jury deliberated for about eight hours after getting the case earlier in the day following six days of testimony. 

Prosecutor Fred Fink, in his closing argument, said evidence showed that Amy Allwine had been drugged with a life-threatening dose of scopolamine before she was shot with a 9-millimeter handgun in a hallway.

Stephen Allwine moved her body to the bedroom where he tried to disguise her murder as a suicide, Fink said.

“Physical and scientific evidence don’t lie,” Fink told the jury.

Fink said evidence showed the victim’s body was “posed,” with no blood spatters on the bedspread or nightstand next to her body and the gun resting on her left elbow even though she was righthanded.  STAR Tribune

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Husband accused of trying to stage wife's death as suicide found guilty of first-degree murder

Stephen Allwine faces a mandatory life sentence after a jury in Washington County deliberated for eight hours in the 2016 slaying of 43-year-old Amy Allwine.

Investigators said that Stephen Allwine was having affairs, according to the Star Tribune, and that he searched the dark web in an attempt to find a hit man to kill his wife.

Stephen Allwine was an elder at the United Church of God, which frowned on divorce.

"This defendant wanted Amy Allwine out of his life and wanted to be free to play the field," prosecutor Fred Fink said, according to the newspaper. "He planned, prepared for and was absolutely determined to kill her." NYDailyNews

Stephen Allwine was convicted Wednesday night of first-degree premeditated murder in the killing of Amy Allwine on Nov. 13, 2016. CBSLocal Minnessota

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(KMSP) - After six days of testimony, and six hours of deliberations, a Washington County jury has found Stephen Allwine guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of his wife. He’s expected to spend the rest of his life in prison. 

In closing arguments, prosecutors told the jury Stephen killed Amy because he was an elder in his church, and it would be embarrassing to seek a divorce. Evidence revealed Stephen had carried on at least two affairs with women he met on the cheaters site Ashley Madison. 

Over six days of testimony, the court room was filled with supporters from the Allwine church, where Stephen was a deacon and church leader.  FOX9

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“We believe the jury did the right thing,” Fink said. “They had a lot of pieces of evidence to go through. … I’ve been doing this 43 years and it’s probably the most complex case I’ve ever tried.”

The evidence against Allwine included a trail of digital clues that connected him to a failed murder-for-hire plot hatched on the “dark web,” a hidden portion of the internet associated with crime."

"After a two-month investigation, Stephen Allwine was arrested in March 2017 and charged with Amy Allwine’s murder. Prosecutors alleged that Stephen Allwine was having at least two extramarital affairs. Rather than divorce his wife and jeopardize his position at a local church, he decided to have her killed." Twin Cities Pioneer Express

I have heard similar reports that United Church of God members were filling the courtroom viewing area in support of Allwine.  Many UCG members have claimed that this court trial is an attack by Satan on God's true church (UCG).  We have all heard that crap before in another court trial!  Many of those in attendance were reported to be quite vocal in their support of Allwine.

Thankfully a wise jury made a wise decision.

SaveSave

United Church of God Statement On Allwine Guilty Verdict

UCG has released a statement on the guilty verdict of Stephen Allwine.  Many on Facebook are ripping them to shreds over it.  It seems they are more concerned about the public scrutiny of the news media into the UCG and the potential drop in income that may result.

Verdict Reached in Trial of Stephen Allwine

Posted on Feb 1, 2018 by Peter Eddington, Victor Kubik

After now being declared guilty, formal sentencing is scheduled for Friday morning, February 2. 

[February 1, 2018] Back in late 2016 we reported on a shocking and tragic event in Minnesota. Amy Allwine, wife of Stephen Allwine, was found dead of a gunshot wound in the Allwine’s home. A lengthy and in-depth police investigation ensued and Mr. Allwine was eventually charged with premeditated first-degree murder by a Minnesota Grand Jury. A trial began earlier this month. Because of the sensational nature of the facts surrounding the case, a considerable number of international and national media outlets covered the events leading up to and including the trial.

Last Wednesday evening, after deliberating a little more than six hours, the Minnesota jury involved in the Amy Allwine murder trial delivered a verdict—finding Stephen Allwine guilty of first degree murder. After now being declared guilty, his formal sentencing is scheduled for Friday morning, February 2. Given the grim details of the terrible death of Amy, we expect media attention to continue for some time.

At this point it is important to remember that this situation remains profoundly tragic in a highly personal way for many. The justice system has acted and rendered a verdict, which we as a Church respect. But we should remember that this process has been exceptionally hard on the families involved, and also for close friends and extended members of the families. As innocent independent victims of this tragedy they face a difficult and challenging mix of strong emotions—including renewed shock and grief that will last for some time. We need to recognize this. Jesus instructed us that we are to love one another, and now is an especially good time to fulfill that.

Minnesota law will call for an automatic appeal, so the process will actually continue in some form. It is our fervent hope that all will continue praying to our merciful Father about the entire situation and be compassionate about what the extended families are going through.

Here is an important point: while we certainly respect the verdict, at the same time we personally are not to sit in judgment. As Jesus Himself instructs us, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). Jesus also tells us that “there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known” (Luke 12:2). We can have confidence that our all-knowing God is aware of all aspects regarding this tragic situation. We need to remember what James, the brother of Jesus, writes to us from a spiritual perspective: “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). As a result, we will not be making speculative comments about the verdict.

As noted, the details of the murder are terrible. Coupled with the fact that Mr. Allwine was technically a lay (unpaid) minister at the time of Amy’s death, this has made for heightened media coverage—which we expect will continue in some form. Regarding his status, it is important to know that during the police investigation Mr. Allwine publicly admitted to conduct that violated the established ethics policy for ministers of the United Church of God, an International Association. As a result, and given the policy’s zero-tolerance application of that policy, the Council of Elders removed him from the ministry in 2017. While that action has been appropriately taken, I do encourage all of us to continue praying to our almighty God for direction and comfort for all parties.

It is also important to note that some major media previously and erroneously asserted that the Church’s teachings on marriage and divorce may have been a contributing factor in the case. As we have been told by those who attended the trial, that was not a major focus during the actual proceedings. As a precaution, we did previously publish a public statement correcting this information, which is available on the members website . You are welcome to review and refer to that as needed. We may update it as appropriate.

Again, because the details of the murder are so graphic we expect a considerable amount of public attention about the verdict—both in the short-term and ongoing in the weeks and even months ahead. This public attention may have certain outcomes, including making things more complicated for the families.

On a related matter, given that both the United Church of God and the work that we do may come to the attention of the media as a result of this trial and verdict, we humbly ask that you pray that all will serve to ultimately further the will of God, particularly as it concerns what we have been called to do (Romans 12:1). As Paul writes with authority, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Amy Allwine’s parents and siblings made this public statement: “We can summon no words to describe life without Amy. We loved her and miss her tremendously. We now turn to the path of privately healing and grieving.” We personally ask that we all join with them and all the families in praying for this healing.

May the work and mission of God advance urgently in these times of turbulent need. Thank you for your prayers. You remain in ours.

The Church of God Prayer

How many times have we heard people share horror stories of abuse in the church and then someone pops up and said it never happened that way and if it did then the abused person was somehow culpable.  

That didn't happen.

And if it did, it wasn't that bad.

And if it was, that's not a big deal.

And if it is, that's not my fault.

And if it was, I didn't mean it.

And if I did...

You deserved it.

A Narcissist's Prayer

The Abomination That Is Carob

Anyone with a long history of being a Church of God member surely knows about the "food" that was fostered off on us in the late 60's and early 70's that was carob.  Has there ever been such a vile food substitute as this?  Even turkey bacon was better than the abomination called carob.

We were told to eat this crap while God's almighty servant, Herbert W Armstrong, was eating real chocolate in his home prepared by his personal chef.  Only the finest chocolate would do! Flown in from Harrod's of London, or bought at the local high-end Jurgenson's Market in Pasadena, it was the best available!

Can you imagine Herbert Armstrong eating a carob cake with thick carob icing?  What about a steaming hot cup of carob!  We would be in Petra before that ever happened!

The New Yorker: How Carob Traumatized a Generation

A wry disgruntlement will forever unite those of us who were children during the height of the nineteen-seventies natural-foods movement. It was a time that we recall not for its principles—yes to organics, no to preservatives—but for its endless assaults on our tender young palates. There was brown rice that scoured our molars as we chewed, shedding gritty flecks of bran. There was watery homemade yogurt that resisted all attempts to mitigate its tartness. And, at the pinnacle of our dietary suffering, worse even than sprout sandwiches or fruit leather or whole-wheat scones, there was carob, the chocolate substitute that never could.

In the nineteen-seventies, carob infiltrated food co-ops and baking books as if it had been sent on a cointelpro mission to alienate the left’s next generation. “Delicious in brownies, hot drinks, cakes and ‘Confections without Objections,’ ” the 1968 vegan cookbook “Ten Talents” crowed, noting, too, that it was a proven bowel conditioner. “Give carob a try,” Maureen Goldsmith, the author of “The Organic Yenta,” encouraged, but even her endorsement came with a hedge; in the note to her recipe for carob pudding, she confessed that she still snuck out for actual chocolate from time to time—though less and less often! No one under the age of twelve could stand the stuff. Not the candy bars that encased a puck of barely sweetened peanut butter in a thin, waxy brown shell, nor the cookies—whole wheat, honey-sweetened—studded with carob chunks that refused to melt in the mouth, instead caking unpleasantly between the teeth. My mother—who, to her children’s lasting gratitude, never compromised her pie recipes, even during her peak whole-foods years—told me recently that she was never that fond of carob, either.

See full story here: How Carob Traumatized a Generation

United Church of God Meddles In Peoples Lives Concerning Tattoo's

It has always amazed me how the Church of God loves to meddle in its member's lives.  Many churches do this, but the COG movement is extremely good at it.  This week United Church of God struck out at people who have tattoos.  It has always been a hypocritical stance the church has taken considering the number of ministers that have tattoo's, from Garner Ted and on down the food chain. Oh, but these men got their tattoo's when they were unconverted...HA!, not so in many of the cases.  I know evangelists and ministers that got them while still part of WCG.

United Church of God says:

We are to reflect God’s thinking and values, and strive to follow His instructions for us carefully and respectfully. “Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you’” (2 Corinthians 6:17). That is the context of Leviticus 19, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). A variety of actions which make one unholy are prohibited in this chapter, such as not revering one’s parents, breaking the Sabbath, idolatry, stealing or dealing falsely, prostituting your daughter, false weights, and making marks or patterns on the skin by pricking it with a needle coated with pigment (tattooing).

God’s clear intent with the above scriptures in mind is that our bodies should not be marked with tattoos. Statement From the Council of Elders

When will the Church of God learn to shut up about all the silly nonsense they concern themselves over and actually be "the church?"

The Church of God Flat Earth Society

Trouble has been brewing in some of the extreme sacred name groups as the wander further outside the bounds of reality and into sheer craziness.  It seems there is a growing number who actually believe the earth is a flat disk.  While these former people and the former Armstrongites who joined with them should know better, they have allowed themselves to be swayed by more nutty leaders.

The Church of God's Chief Pharisee, James Malm, is having to deal with this issue in a big way as his sidekick, Constance, has now jumped over to the flat earth society. Constance has a deeply troubled past with Armstrongism and Wicca. According to family members, she was deeply involved in Wicca for quite some time and then suddenly saw the "light" and jumped into James Malm's personality cult where she immediately became a prophetess, writing articles for Pharisee Malm.  Like most entrenched in the dark side of Armstrongism and its worship of the law, Constance destroyed her relationship with her family, egged on by Malm and others.  When family members tried to intervene, Malm lashed out recently, claiming that Satan was attacking them because they teach "the truth."

Constance was a writer for Malm's website of deception, The Shining Light, for quite some time.  While he devoted himself to twisting scripture to fit his fanatical devotion to the law, as he waded through the books of the Bible interpreting every scripture, Constance was writing letters and articles as filler for his site.  She got so good at it that Pharisee Malm let many of her articles be posted without editing.  She was his Pharisaical soul mate.

Recently Pharisee Malm said he had to go in and edit some of Constance's articles. Then the great apostasy happened, she became a flat-earther.

The Chief Pharisee was so shocked by her actions that he had to make a public statement essentially publicly marking her and disfellowshipping her from the True Church of the Law.

31 Jan:   It is my very sad duty to inform the brethren that my very dear friend Constance Lynn Belanger has been seduced and has left the faith.  At the beginning of 2017 Constance retired from writing for this site and during the course of that year departed from the faith under the influence of a certain person. 

Later in the year Constance wrote me with some links and asked me for my opinion on a flat earth.  I thought that this was an honest question and dutifully looked this up and then sent her my opinion.

She got all upset at my answer and wrote accusing me of treating her like a child and of attacking her.  It was obvious that she had swallowed this and had been trying to get me to accept it as well.  Then when I did not do so, she justified her refusing to look at the evidence and rejecting me, by accusing me of something that had never entered my mind. I had always considered her a beloved friend and I found this quite a shock.

This kind of cop out is so common in today’s COG’s: when people cannot refute something they do not want to accept; they just accuse the messenger of attacking them and tune out, cleaving to their error.

Constance had fully swallowed the Flat Earth error [hence my recent post on the subject].  She then chose to disassociate herself from me because I did not agree, taking the view that nothing I say can be believed because I do not accept the “truth” that the earth is flat.

Then she wrote insisting that I remove “her” articles.

I responded by reminding her that:

• She had given me her very rough drafts and told me to do whatever I wanted with them and I had spent endless hours working on them to bring them up to a minimum level for use.  In fact the articles now bear very little resemblance to the first drafts she gave me,
• Further I had actually paid her several thousand dollars for the articles

I am not about to trash several thousand dollars paid to her and several hundreds of hours of my own work on something that actually belongs to me,  just to satisfy her fit of pique.

Constance is now coming out against the “gap theory” of creation week and other issues. 

The understanding of a gap between the initial creation of the universe and the creation week on the earth did not originate with Herbert Armstrong and has been around for a very long time in the church of God and also in Protestantism.  

I had wanted to avoid making this public, but the need to inform the brethren of the facts has now become a priority.  Please be aware that Constance is no longer associated with me, that she is a flat earth believer and that she is now teaching contrary to sound doctrine.

Are there truly any normal people in Armstrongism? Why are people attracted such nuttiness? They spend their lives jumping from one nutty leader to the next, letting themselves get wrapped up in the latest conspiracy theory or outrageous claim.