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Why some brewing companies are producing more hop-forward ales and light-bodied lagersNone
ORRVILLE, Ohio , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The J. M. Smucker Company (the "Company") (NYSE: SJM) today announced that it has commenced cash tender offers (each, an "Offer" and collectively, the "Offers") for the maximum principal amount of validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) notes set forth below (collectively, the "Notes"), such that the aggregate purchase price, not including accrued and unpaid interest, payable in respect of such Notes will not exceed $300 million . The Offers are being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, dated December 3, 2024 (the "Offer to Purchase"), which sets forth a description of the terms of the Offers. A summary of the Offers to purchase the Notes is outlined below: Acceptance Priority Level (1) Title of Security CUSIP Number Outstanding Principal Amount Reference U.S. Treasury Security (2) Bloomberg Reference Page Fixed Spread (bps) Early Tender Premium (3) 1 2.750% Senior Notes due 2041 832696AV0 $300,000,000 4.625% UST due 11/15/2044 FIT 1 +85 $30 2 3.550% Senior Notes due 2050 832696AT5 $300,000,000 4.250% UST due 8/15/2054 FIT 1 +95 $30 3 2.125% Senior Notes due 2032 832696AU2 $500,000,000 4.250% UST due 11/15/2034 FIT 1 +50 $30 4 4.375% Senior Notes due 2045 832696AP3 $600,000,000 4.625% UST due 11/15/2044 FIT 1 +85 $30 5 5.900% Senior Notes due 2028 * 832696AW8 $750,000,000 4.125% UST due 11/30/2029 FIT 1 +30 $30 (1) The Company is offering to accept the maximum principal amount of validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) Notes in the Offer for which the aggregate purchase price, not including accrued and unpaid interest, does not exceed $300 million using a "waterfall" methodology under which the Company will accept the Notes in order of their respective Acceptance Priority Levels (as defined below). (2) The Total Consideration (as defined below) for Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) prior to or at the Early Tender Time (as defined below) and accepted for purchase is calculated using the applicable fixed spread as described in the Offer to Purchase. The Early Tender Premium (as defined below) of $30 per $1,000 principal amount is included in the Total Consideration for each series of Notes set forth above and does not constitute an additional or increased payment. Holders of Notes will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on Notes accepted for purchase up to, but excluding, the Early Settlement Date or the Final Settlement Date (each as defined below), as applicable. (3) Per $1,000 principal amount. * Denotes a series of Notes for which the calculation of the applicable Total Consideration may be performed, subject to market practice, using the present value of such Notes as determined at the Price Determination Time (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) as if the principal amount of Notes had been due on the applicable Par Call Date (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) of such series rather than the maturity date. Each Offer is scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m. , New York City time, on January 2, 2025 , unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company (such date and time, as the same may be extended or earlier terminated with respect to each Offer, the "Expiration Time"). To receive the Total Consideration, holders of the Notes must validly tender and not validly withdraw Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m. , New York City time, on December 16, 2024 , unless such deadline is extended with respect to the applicable Offer(s) (such date and time, as the same may be extended with respect to each Offer, the "Early Tender Time"), to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration. Tenders of Notes may not be validly withdrawn after 5:00 p.m. , New York City time, on December 16, 2024 (the "Withdrawal Deadline"), unless extended by the Company with respect to the applicable Offer. After such time, Notes validly tendered may not be validly withdrawn unless such deadline is extended with respect to the applicable Offer, except in certain limited circumstances where additional withdrawal rights are required by law. Payments for Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase at or prior to the Early Tender Time are expected to settle on December 19, 2024 (the "Early Settlement Date"). The consideration paid in each of the Offers will be determined in the manner described in the Offer to Purchase by reference to a fixed spread over the yield to maturity of the applicable U.S. Treasury Security (the "Reference Treasury Security") specified in the table above and on the cover page of the Offer to Purchase in the column entitled "Reference U.S. Treasury Security." Holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Time that are accepted for purchase will be eligible to receive the "Total Consideration," which includes an early tender premium of $30 per $1,000 principal amount of Notes accepted for purchase (the "Early Tender Premium"). The Early Tender Premium is included in the Total Consideration for each series of Notes and does not constitute an additional or increased payment. Holders who validly tender Notes after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time and whose Notes are accepted for purchase will be entitled to receive the Total Consideration minus the Early Tender Premium. In addition, in each case, holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase will receive accrued and unpaid interest on their Notes up to, but excluding, the applicable settlement date, payable on the settlement date. The Company will accept for purchase for cash the maximum principal amount of validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) Notes for which the aggregate purchase price, not including accrued and unpaid interest, payable in respect of such Notes does not exceed $300 million (the "Offer Cap"). Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions of the Offers, Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) prior to or at the Early Tender Time will be accepted based on the acceptance priority levels noted in the table above (the "Acceptance Priority Levels"). All Notes tendered prior to or at the Early Tender Time will have priority over Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time, regardless of the Acceptance Priority Levels of the Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time. Subject to applicable law, the Company may increase, decrease or waive the Offer Cap, as provided in the Offer to Purchase. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions of the Offers, the "Acceptance Priority Procedures" will operate as follows: (1) at the Early Settlement Date, the Company will accept for purchase all Notes of each Series validly tendered at or before the Early Tender Time and not validly withdrawn at or before the Withdrawal Deadline, starting with the 2.750% Senior Notes due 2041 (which have an Acceptance Priority Level of 1), followed by the 3.550% Senior Notes due 2050 (which have an Acceptance Priority Level of 2), followed by the 2.125% Senior Notes due 2032 (which have an Acceptance Priority Level of 3), followed by the 4.375% Senior Notes due 2045 (which have an Acceptance Priority Level of 4), followed by the 5.900% Senior Notes due 2028 (which have an Acceptance Priority Level of 5), subject to the Offer Cap; and (2) on January 6, 2025 (the "Final Settlement Date"), to the extent the Company has not already accepted Notes with an aggregate purchase price payable in respect of such Notes equal to the Offer Cap, it will accept for purchase validly tendered and not validly withdrawn Notes of each Series not previously purchased on the Early Settlement Date starting with the 2.750% Senior Notes due 2041, followed by the 3.550% Senior Notes due 2050, followed by the 2.125% Senior Notes due 2032, followed by the 4.375% Senior Notes due 2045, followed by the 5.900% Senior Notes due 2028 in accordance with their respective Acceptance Priority Levels, subject to the Offer Cap. None of the Offers is conditioned on any of the other Offers or upon any minimum principal amount of Notes of any series being tendered. The Company's obligation to purchase, and to pay for, any Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Offers is subject to and conditioned upon the satisfaction of, or the Company's waiver of, the conditions described in the Offer to Purchase. This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell securities. No offer, solicitation, purchase or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. The Offers are being made solely pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P Morgan Securities LLC are serving as Dealer Managers for the Offers (each, a "Dealer Manager" and together, the "Dealer Managers"). Questions regarding the Offers may be directed to Goldman Sachs at (800) 828-3182 (toll free) or (212) 357-1452 (collect) or to J.P Morgan at (866) 834-4666 (toll free) or (212) 834-3554 (collect). Requests for the Offer to Purchase or the documents incorporated by reference therein may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc., which is acting as the Tender Agent and Information Agent for the Offers, at SJM@dfking.com or the following telephone numbers: banks and brokers at (212) 269-5550; all others toll free at (866) 620-2535. The J. M. Smucker Company Forward-Looking Statements This press release ("Release") includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. The forward-looking statements may include statements concerning our current expectations, estimates, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events, conditions, plans and strategies that are not historical fact. Any statement that is not historical in nature is a forward-looking statement and may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "will," "plan," "strive" and similar phrases. Federal securities laws provide a safe harbor for forward-looking statements to encourage companies to provide prospective information. We are providing this cautionary statement in connection with the safe harbor provisions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, when evaluating the information presented in this Release, as such statements are by nature subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control and could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements and from our historical results and experience. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: our ability to successfully integrate Hostess Brands' operations and employees and to implement plans and achieve financial forecasts with respect to the Hostess Brands' business; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits, including synergies and cost savings, related to the Hostess Brands acquisition, including the possibility that the expected benefits will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; disruption from the acquisition of Hostess Brands by diverting the attention of our management and making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the negative effects of the acquisition of Hostess Brands on the market price of our common shares; the amount of the costs, fees, expenses, and charges and the risk of litigation related to the acquisition of Hostess Brands; the effect of the acquisition of Hostess Brands on our business relationships, operating results, ability to hire and retain key talent, and business generally; disruptions or inefficiencies in our operations or supply chain, including any impact caused by product recalls, political instability, terrorism, geopolitical conflicts (including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas), extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, pandemics, work stoppages or labor shortages (including potential strikes along the U.S. East and Gulf coast ports and potential impacts related to the duration of a recent strike at our Buffalo, New York manufacturing facility), or other calamities; risks related to the availability of, and cost inflation in, supply chain inputs, including labor, raw materials, commodities, packaging, and transportation; the impact of food security concerns involving either our products or our competitors' products, including changes in consumer preference, consumer litigation, actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other agencies, and product recalls; risks associated with derivative and purchasing strategies we employ to manage commodity pricing and interest rate risks; the availability of reliable transportation on acceptable terms; our ability to achieve cost savings related to our restructuring and cost management programs in the amounts and within the time frames currently anticipated; our ability to generate sufficient cash flow to continue operating under our capital deployment model, including capital expenditures, debt repayment to meet our deleveraging objectives, dividend payments, and share repurchases; a change in outlook or downgrade in our public credit ratings by a rating agency below investment grade; our ability to implement and realize the full benefit of price changes, and the impact of the timing of the price changes to profits and cash flow in a particular period; the success and cost of marketing and sales programs and strategies intended to promote growth in our business, including product innovation; general competitive activity in the market, including competitors' pricing practices and promotional spending levels; our ability to attract and retain key talent; the concentration of certain of our businesses with key customers and suppliers, including primary or single-source suppliers of certain key raw materials and finished goods, and our ability to manage and maintain key relationships; impairments in the carrying value of goodwill, other intangible assets, or other long-lived assets or changes in the useful lives of other intangible assets or other long-lived assets; the impact of new or changes to existing governmental laws and regulations and their application; the outcome of tax examinations, changes in tax laws, and other tax matters; a disruption, failure, or security breach of our or our suppliers' information technology systems, including, but not limited to, ransomware attacks; foreign currency exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations; and risks related to other factors described under "Risk Factors" in other reports and statements we have filed with the SEC. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances. About The J. M. Smucker Company At The J. M. Smucker Company, it is our privilege to make food people and pets love by offering a diverse family of brands available across North America . We are proud to lead in the coffee, peanut butter, fruit spreads, frozen handheld, sweet baked goods, dog snacks and cat food categories by offering brands consumers trust for themselves and their families each day, including Folgers ® , Dunkin' ® , Café Bustelo ® , Jif ® , Uncrustables ® , Smucker's ® , Hostess ® , Milk-Bone ® and Meow Mix ® . Through our unwavering commitment to producing high quality products, operating responsibly and ethically and delivering on our Purpose, we will continue to grow our business while making a positive impact on society. The J. M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for Dunkin' ® , which is a trademark of DD IP Holder LLC. The Dunkin'® brand is licensed to The J. M. Smucker Company for packaged coffee products sold in retail channels, such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, e-commerce and drug stores, as well as in certain away from home channels. This information does not pertain to products for sale in Dunkin' ® restaurants. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-j-m-smucker-company-announces-cash-tender-offers-302321621.html SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Co.Iowa moves on without injured quarterback Brendan Sullivan when the Hawkeyes visit Maryland for a Big Ten Conference contest on Saturday afternoon. Former starter Cade McNamara is not ready to return from a concussion, so Iowa (6-4, 4-3) turns to former walk-on and fourth-stringer Jackson Stratton to lead the offense in College Park, Md. "Confident that he'll do a great job," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said of Stratton on his weekly radio show. "He stepped in, did a really nice job in our last ballgame. And he's got a good ability to throw the football, and he's learning every day. ... We'll go with him and see what we can do." Iowa had been on an upswing with Sullivan, who had sparked the Hawkeyes to convincing wins over Northwestern and Wisconsin before suffering an ankle injury in a 20-17 loss at UCLA on Nov. 8. Stratton came on in relief against the Bruins and completed 3 of 6 passes for 28 yards. Another storyline for Saturday is that Ferentz will be opposing his son, Brian Ferentz, an assistant at Maryland. Brian Ferentz was Iowa's offensive coordinator from 2017-23. "We've all got business to take care of on Saturday," Kirk Ferentz said. "I think his experience has been good and everything I know about it. As a parent, I'm glad he's with good people." Maryland (4-6, 1-6) needs a win to keep its hopes alive for a fourth straight bowl appearance under Mike Locksley. The Terrapins have dropped five of their last six games, all by at least 14 points, including a 31-17 loss at home to Rutgers last weekend. "It's been a challenging last few weeks to say the least," Locksley said. The challenge this week will be to stop Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, who leads the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,328) and touchdowns (20), averaging 7.1 yards per carry. "With running backs, it's not always about speed. It's about power, vision and the ability to make something out of nothing," Locksley said. "This guy is a load and runs behind his pads." Maryland answers with quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., who leads the Big Ten in passing yards per game (285.5) and completions (268). His top target is Tai Felton, who leads the conference in catches (86) and receiving yards (1,040). --Field Level Media
LANDOVER, Md. — Jalen Carter was assessed his fourth penalty for unnecessary roughness Sunday at Washington. He leads the league. C.J. Gardner Johnson was assessed two penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct within 19 minutes of each other in the loss, and was ejected. As Gardner-Johnson left, he flipped the crowd a double bird, his two middle fingers likely costing him $5,000 apiece in fines, if recent NFL history is any indicator. These double Birds have a habit of confrontation. Both burnished their bad reputations. Their unprofessionalism has to end. The Eagles were “sloppy with penalties,” said coach Nick Sirianni. Don’t blame the fellas. Blame him. He does: “That’s always going to be on me as the head coach.” Yep. Sirianni has done a fabulous job in most facets most of the season. Self-control from his players is not one of them. The Eagles were flagged for 91 yards in penalties in their 36-33 loss to the Commanders, but 45 yards of those penalties fell at the feet of Gardner-Johnson, a fine safety but an All-Pro hype man, and Carter, who is drawn to conflict like a Vin Diesel movie character. Carter, a product of Apopka High School, is the best defensive player on the team. Gardner-Johnson is irreplaceable. Sirianni and his staff cannot control either of them. Officials clearly have made both players marked men, but instead of acting smarter, the players indulge themselves further. Their immaturity will only embolden opponents to bait them into future indiscretions. This reality could cost the Eagles dearly as they approach and enter the playoffs. No matter how prodigious his abilities, a player who can’t avoid trouble is, to some degree, a liability. The Eagles gave up 14 points before Gardner-Johnson left. They gave up 22 points with him in the locker room. There was no good reason for him to be in the locker room; he just couldn’t help himself. Between the first and second quarter, Gardner-Johnson was jawing at the Commanders offense, receiver Dyami Brown in particular. As the two came face-to-face, so offensive was whatever Gardner-Johnson said that referee Shawn Smith ignored Brown’s reaction, which was to rip Gardner-Johnson’s helmet off his head by shoving the face mask upward. That turned second-and-14 at the Commanders’ 41-yard line into first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 44. One minute, 18 seconds later Carter was called for unnecessary roughness when, after Nolan Smith sacked Jayden Daniels, he pushed guard Sam Cosmi over Daniels’ prone body, causing Cosmi to fall backward. That turned what would have been second-and-13 at the Eagles’ 31 into first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 16. Linebacker Nakobe Dean, a teammate of Carter’s at Georgia, immediately admonished Carter on the field. Finally, with 11:24 to play in the third quarter, during a change of possession after the Eagles forced a fumble, Gardner-Johnson apparently taunted the Commanders a second time. This also drew an unsportsmanlike penalty, and he was ejected. The Eagles led, 24-14. With Gardner-Johnson replaced by undrafted second-year man Tristin McCollum, whom the Commanders targeted, Washington roared back with three touchdown passes and won. This is nothing new. CJGJ has always been a smack-talker, though he seemed to have matured from his first stint with the Eagles, in 2022. Carter’s getting worse. He had a similar penalty two weeks ago. In a bizarre in-game sideline scene after that penalty against the Steelers, Sirianni was blocked from talking to Carter by defensive line coach Clint Hurtt and team security chief Dom DiSandro. Hurtt was telling his boss that he’d already admonished Carter, who was seen laughing at the confrontation. Carter did not speak with the press either after the game or after practices last week. Sirianni minimized the interaction with Hurtt and said he’d settled things with Carter. Clearly, though, neither Sirianni nor Hurtt got the message to Carter, who was involved in several on-field dustups Sunday. “If it didn’t get fixed,” Sirianni said after the loss, “that’s on me.” Yep. And this time — more than Jalen Hurts’ concussion, more than replacement Kenny Pickett’s poor play, and more than dropped passes from Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith — the absence of Gardner-Johnson cost the Eagles a game. “You look at the penalties and all those little things ... you tend to lose those football games,” said Barkley, who should know, considering he spent his first six seasons witnessing sloppy, selfish football with the Giants. Neither player seems to understand the magnitude of the problem. Gardner-Johnson fled the postgame locker room before reporters entered, but fired off a social media post that read, “got kicked out for nothing, I play with passion and fire!!” Asked how he knew how far he can push opponents and officials, Carter replied: “When that flag goes in the air, that’s when you know how far you can take it. When that flag went up for me, I went overboard. Just got to calm down. Can’t get another one.” From his lips to God’s ears. How the Eagles can lose the NFC East The Eagles and Commanders combined for 7 turnovers and 8 touchdowns, an ejection, and had the game decided on a TD with 6 seconds to play. In the process, Hurts left the game with a concussion and backup Pickett suffered a rib injury. So, the Eagles are anything but certain to win the division. It served as a fine appetizer for the day’s games. The Cowboys won for the fourth time in five games, securing the “W” when DaRon Bland stripped Rachaad White with 90 seconds to play on a wild play that began with Baker Mayfield dragging a tackler 2 yards before he flipped it to White. It happened on Sunday Night Football. Mike Tirico went nuts. The two games set up a compelling upcoming weekend. The loss put the Bucs at 8-7, tied with the Falcons atop the NFC South after Atlanta, behind new rookie starter Michael Penix Jr., blew out the Giants. The Falcons swept the season series and hold the tiebreaker. The Falcons next visit the Commanders for SNF, where, if the Falcons win, they would gift the NFC East title to the Eagles. However, a Commanders win combined with an Eagles loss would set up crucial finales: the Eagles hosting the Giants, the Commanders at the surging Cowboys. Assuming the Cowboys are still surging in two weeks. Which carries its own measure of intrigue. The Cowboys visit the Eagles for a 4:25 p.m. game. The Cowboys would pull to .500 with a win. Another win in that finale against Washington would mean a 9-8 record (and give the Birds the division), but that’s not all. A 9-8 finish with backup quarterback Cooper Rush starting might delude owner Jerry Jones enough so he’d offer lame-duck coach Mike McCarthy, a playoff disaster, a new contract. Last month, before the streak, Jones admitted he’d consider it.
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B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG Invests $1.19 Million in Arlo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:ARLO)DALLAS — If “better health for my hockey team” was among Minnesota Wild coach John Hynes’ holiday wishes, he instead got a notable lump of coal in his stocking before the team plane had even left the ground at MSP on Friday morning. The seat on the charter aircraft normally occupied by Wild star forward Kirill Kaprizov was empty when the rest of the squad took off for Texas. He was unavailable for the Friday evening game versus the Stars with a lower-body injury that has been a problem for a few days now, Hynes said. ADVERTISEMENT “He was a little sore, I think, going into the break, and then we talked with the doctors and stuff yesterday,” the coach said following the team’s morning skate at American Airlines Center. “Right now, as far as I know, it’s day-to-day ... then we’ll see how he’s feeling each day moving forward here.” Hynes added that the absence is not related to the knee-on-knee check Kaprizov took during a November game in Edmonton, which kept him out of the lineup for one game. The coach added that he has not seen anything to indicate the absence will be long-term. “I don’t have a big concern level as of now because he was a little bit banged up prior to going into the break, but we all saw how he played against Chicago,” Hynes said, referencing the team-leading 23rd goal of the season that Kaprizov scored in a 4-3 win over the Blackhawks on Monday. “We’ll see what he does today with his treatments and see what he does tomorrow.” Stars coach Peter DeBoer got the news of Kaprizov’s absence from the media following his team’s morning skate. “Obviously, an important player. I probably could’ve saved myself some time in my pre-scout this morning if I’d known that earlier,” he said, noting that they weren’t expecting an easy night with or without Kaprizov. “When I look at Minnesota, they’re a team that’s the true sum of their parts rather than one player. “They’ve got four lines, they defend well, they’ve got great goaltending. So, probably a lot like us, you can take a player out of the lineup and still be competitive. But still, that’s a big guy out for them.” The Wild will host Ottawa on Sunday evening and Nashville on Tuesday evening. ADVERTISEMENT ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .Heavy Buying Alert & FIIs Bought 5,24,093 Shares: Multibagger Stock Hit Upper Circuit After Board Announces Record Date For 10:1 Stock Split - Dalal Street Investment JournalFormer New Orleans priest convicted of raping teen boy dies while serving life sentence NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A 93-year-old former Catholic priest sentenced to life in prison earlier this month for raping a teenage boy has died, Louisiana authorities and his lawyer confirmed Friday. Jack Brook, The Associated Press Dec 27, 2024 12:57 PM Dec 27, 2024 1:05 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A 93-year-old former Catholic priest sentenced to life in prison earlier this month for raping a teenage boy has died, Louisiana authorities and his lawyer confirmed Friday. Less than two weeks after being sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars, Lawrence Hecker died of natural causes at 3 a.m. Thursday at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center, according to Ken Pastorick, Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections communications director. Hecker had pleaded guilty to charges including first-degree rape and aggravated kidnapping shortly before jury selection for his long-delayed trial had been scheduled to begin earlier this month, with other victims prepared to testify against him. The survivor of the assault to which Hecker pleaded guilty had said that Hecker raped him after offering to instruct him in wrestling moves ahead of tryouts for a school team in the mid-1970s. “The only prayer I can come up with I hope he spends eternity in hell after God's judgment of him,” the survivor said in a written statement provided by his attorney, Richard Trahant. “Now after his death I feel vindicated and free,” he said. The Associated Press does not identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted. Hecker's trial had been delayed for months partly because of questions around his mental competency. Hecker had suffered from dementia, his lawyer Bobby Hjortsberg said. Hecker had been ordained as an archdiocesan priest in 1958 and remained in this position even after facing an undisputed complaint of child molestation in the late 1980s, according to court records . Hecker left the ministry in 2002. Hecker's conviction occurred amid a wave of sexual abuse allegations against the Catholic church in New Orleans, many resurfacing from decades ago. The fallout has left the Archdiocese of New Orleans embroiled in bankruptcy negotiations. ___ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96 ___ This story has been updated to clarify that Hecker died at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center. Authorities had previously stated he died at a Baton Rouge hospital. Jack Brook, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Religion News Former New Orleans priest convicted of raping teen boy dies while serving life sentence Dec 27, 2024 12:43 PM What is the Native American Church and why is peyote sacred to members? Dec 26, 2024 12:07 PM Peyote sacred to Native Americans threatened by psychedelic renaissance and development Dec 26, 2024 11:19 AM