Two Guards Killed

Article taken from the Nevada State Journal, July 25, 1973

Lucasville, Ohio (UPI)

Two guards at the state's main maximum-security prison were shot and killed Tuesday when a inmate serving a life sectence pulled a .25-caliber automatic pistol and "ran amok." 

A prison spokesman said that Wayne Lester Raney, 23, ran out of his ground-floor cell in the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility's "K-3" top-security section, shot guard Arthur Sprouse, 40, of Lucasville, and then took three guards hostage. 

The other slain guard was identified as Gary Underwood, 24, of Portsmouth, Ohio.

Prisoner Admits He Killed Guard

The Sunday Chronicle Telegram, August 15, 1973

Wayne Lester Raney, 23, a convicted murderer today pleaded guilty to a charge of first degree murder in the killing of Arthur Sprouse, 41, a guard at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.

Sentencing was delayed.  Raney, is serving a life term for the murder of an 18-year-old girl.

Raney shot and killed Sprouse July 24 after he was released from his cell on the pretense that he wanted to clean it.  Sprouse was killed with a .25 caliber pistol that Raney had hidden in the cell.

Guard Ronald Pratt, 29, was charged with smuggling the gun into Raney.  He pleaded innocent to that charge and a charge of aiding an escape attempt when arrainged in Scioto County Common Pleas Court last week.

After shooting Sprouse, Raney took three guards hostage and held them for an hour and a half.  A sharpshooter tried to pick off Raney but hit guard Gary Underwood instead, killing him.

Raney was represented at his hearing today by attorney Paul Fowler who told the court he had explained the consequences of entering a guilty plea in great detail to Raney.  The court also explained the consequences to Raney, but Raney said he still wanted to plead guilty and the plea was accepted. 

No date has yet been set for Pratt's trial.