Indiana governor allows execution to proceed Thursday

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 23:44 · Archive

Indiana's governor has rejected a clemency request and confirmed an execution will proceed Thursday for a man convicted of killing his girlfriend's two children in a 2010 fire.

Indiana governor Mike Braun has rejected a clemency request from Jeffrey Weisheit and confirmed that his execution will proceed on Thursday as scheduled by the court. Braun, a Republican, said the Indiana Department of Correction would continue preparations to carry out the death sentence.

Weisheit, 50, was convicted of murder and arson for setting a fire that killed two children at their Evansville-area home in 2010. The remains of 8-year-old Alyssa Lynch and 5-year-old Caleb Lynch were recovered from the fire. Alyssa's body was found in a closet and Caleb's on a mattress, restrained with duct tape. The children's mother, Lisa Lynch, was at work at the time. She had been in a relationship with Weisheit, but investigators said it was breaking down. Weisheit acknowledged his crimes during an October 16 public hearing but said he wanted to live and improve the lives of other people in prison.

Weisheit's legal team has raised concerns about the execution process. His lawyers cite his history of head injuries and mental health problems, which they say did not receive sufficient attention at his 2013 trial. They have also asked the governor to delay the execution and review how Indiana acquires drugs for lethal injections, noting that the state purchased pentobarbital from a pharmacy under scrutiny by the state attorney general. The lawyers also pointed to the recent failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee and Tennessee's governor's decision to review that case.

How it is being reported

• Indiana governor says execution will go ahead Thursday against man who killed 2 kidsIndiana’s governor turned down a clemency request and says an execution planned for Thursday will go forward against a man who killed his girlfriend’s two children in 2010.Clickorlando · 2 Nov, 23:08
• Indiana governor says execution will go ahead Thursday against man who killed 2 kidsIndiana’s governor turned down a clemency request and says an execution planned for Thursday will go forward against a man who killed his girlfriend’s two children in 2010.News4Jax · 2 Nov, 23:08

In this story: Jeffrey Weisheit · Mike Braun · Alyssa Lynch · Caleb Lynch · Lisa Lynch · Indiana · Indiana Department of Correction · Indiana Parole Board

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