When he worked for NASA as a scientist and chaplain during the height of the space race, John Stout made it his mission to get Bibles to the moon. courtesy

Kirk was a young reporter covering the space race for United Press International when he first met Stout. A chaplain to many astronauts, Stout had made it his mission to get Bibles to the moon.

When microfiche versions of the King James Bible made it to the lunar surface with astronaut Edgar Mitchell on Apollo 14 in 1971, Kirk broke the news about the "lunar Bibles" around the world.

In 2010, Stout was declared a ward of the state – a decision he opposed. At the time, the Presbyterian minister was active on the Internet, emailing friends and writing letters, Kirk said. Stout was placed into guardianship after he attempted to give a couple of small parcels of land he owned to his hometown of La Porte, Texas, Kirk said.

Stout was also the keeper of some lunar Bibles, now worth a small fortune. One hundred made it to the moon, and they’ve sold at auction for as much as $75,000 each. Stout had as many as 60 in his apartment, according to Kirk.

The state has since seized all of Stout’s property – customary in guardianship cases.

Stout’s visits have been restricted to only his son and daughter-in-law, according to court documents. Kirk said they live out of state and do not visit.

America Tonight also requested permission to visit Stout. The request was denied.

Cecilia Cavuto, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Aging and Disability Services, said privacy concerns prevented her from talking about individual cases. In an email, she said: “The most important job of any guardian is to protect the individuals he or she serves. As such there are times when a guardian must make difficult decisions such as restrict visitors for certain individuals.”