Watch for Updates
Originally Posted September 22, 2016
by Robert Baty
Some time ago I heard the rumor about Kent having been tutored in his early days of preaching by “Pete” Uppole, formally known as Ronald W. Uppole.
That was back during the time when other aspects of Kent’s life, according to rumor, were also going on; Kent’s neglect of Andrew, his son, Kent being fired from a preaching job for discipline of a child, and a mysterious house fire after which Kent collected the insurance money and was able to “leave town”.
Like all of such stories, Kent has yet to come out and publicly, convincingly address such aspects of his biography, though he and his people have been promoting their version of his history.
Ronald W. “Pete” Uppole, killed his wife in 1978. According to reports it was a rather gruesome killing and he involved one of his children, his daughter, in the event. He also had two sons.
There was quite a bit of litigation over the matter and the issue of Ronald’s sanity. He appears to have been in and out of mental and penal institutions over the years.
Curiously, in a September 21, 2016 broadcast on YouTube, Kent introduces us to someone named Stephen Scott Uppole who he claims was his ring-bearer when he married Jo and that Stephen was on his way to Illinois to visit his father. That seems to me to be enough to tie down the connection between Kent and Ronald, though more specific details are yet to be made known.
Here are some references in support of this article and the relevance of the issue as to how influential Ronald W. Uppole might have been on the developing Kent Hovind.
Illinois Appellate Court Case Involving Ronald W. Uppole
https://casetext.com/case/people-v-uppole
Newspaper Link Where Ronald W. Uppole Story Is Reported:
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/73632449/
Another Legal Reference To The Ronald W. Uppole Case:
http://il.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19810604_0000925.IL.htm/qx
Another Legal Reference To Ronald W. Uppole (Mental Issues/SSDI):
http://openjurist.org/76/f3d/381/uppole-v-s-chater
Stephen Scott Uppole’s FaceBook Addresses:
https://www.facebook.com/stephenScottSwift1
and
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009344006479
and
https://www.facebook.com/NoneShopuldPerish
and
https://www.facebook.com/IMScOt
Kent Hovind Video Link With Stephen Appearing About 1:00 Mark:
Still of Stephen Scott Uppole From Video September 21, 2016:
https://youtu.be/0JIIS_vPqgc?t=60
On-Line Family Tree of Ronald W. Uppole:
Why didn’t Kent Hovind allow Stephen Scott Uppole to stay longer at his compound on Pearl Lane in Conecuh County, AL?
Recently Stephen recently posted the following comments to one of his FaceBook pages:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1693243070997143&id=100009344006479&pnref=story
“The day before ever thing started to become unraveled I had a Wonderful date with this Beautiful young Lady, but She has to go back across seas and I am now off to help create a Creation Science theme park. Thank You Lord for giving My heart the comfort I need. God Bless and LoveYa Lil1s.”
– Stephen Scott Uppole
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1695737957414321&id=100009344006479&pnref=story
“Well, I LoveYa San Diego. Try to be back in a couple of months. I’m on a bus heading East for two days.”
– Stephen Scott Uppole
UPDATE:
Around the 17:10 mark and following in a broadcast September 24, 2016, Kent Hovind again confirms his connections to Ronald W. Uppole in the context of trying to justify his marriage to Mary Tocco.
Kent does not admit to the influence on him by Ronald W. Uppole, but indicates they were involved with the same church and that Ronald’s wife’s sister is the one who got him involved with the Baptists.
That discussion starts about the 17:10 mark as indicated by the following time marked link:
https://youtu.be/iowgLhzXj8A?t=17m13s
(Above referenced video appears to have been removed from public view!)
UPDATE:
Update July 16, 2021
Added following information for reference!
Update December 13, 2021
Kent was talking about his days back in Pekin, IL yesterday, but he conspicuously failed to explain his relationship with Ronald W. (Pete) Uppole. So, I asked Loren Dawson’s son about it.
https://youtu.be/1GNDLqHHX88?t=1455
Link to Loren Dawson obituary:
https://www.buchanancody.com/obituary/641373
(Begin excerpts.)
Evangelist Dr. Loren C. Dawson Jr., 78, of Virginia, IL went to be with the Lord on Sunday, July 20, 2008 at Heritage Manor South in Beardstown, IL.
He served as pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Pekin for over 12 years.
In 1975, he moved his ministry headquarters back to Virginia, IL and continued to serve in evangelism for many years.
(End excerpts.)
Update May 10, 2022
Two 1990 newspaper articles have come across my desk regarding Ronald W. “Pete” Uppole.
Update September 10, 2022
Kent Hovind finally mentions his association with “Pete” Uppole, but doesn’t tell the “rest of the story” and just how much Uppole influenced him early in his preaching career.
https://youtu.be/w5W5uTYuP2w?t=395
Update November 5, 2022
Theodore Valentine Valenzuela again shows why he should not be trusted with the Hovind story. Tonight he made cryptic allegations in an effort to make some “big reveal” (that wasn’t). I am convinced that he flat out got the Uppole history wrong.
https://youtu.be/P0DsO-Y1j6A?t=115
For those unfamiliar with Theodore, the article at the following link, I think, is a very good primer on him:
.
Do you know the date of Kent’s wedding? That might help tie things together. To be ring bearer the kid had to be pretty young. I wanted to compare this time with when the wife was killed.
I think Kent said the ring-bearing was 43 years ago, and that the kid was 46. He would have been 3 and 43 years ago would have been 1973, I think.
So, it seems the story, if accurate, would indicate Kent had a long relationship sitting at the feet and learning Ronald W. Uppole’s ways and thinking.
The murder was in 1978.
Wikipedia confirms the 1973 marriage date for Kent and Jo.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Hovind