‘He could barely hear me’: Deacon recounts death row inmate’s final hours
Deacon Brian Nosbusch left the prison troubled by restrictions on their time together and how little of the process anyone outside the execution team could see.
Death Penalty
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5 legal issues to watch in the 2026 Legislature
The Indiana General Assembly is preparing for an abbreviated legislative session, but lawmakers will still delve into legal issues dealing with immigration, capital punishment and the removal process for prosecutors and Marion Superior Court judges.
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More executions? Some doubts rise amid concerns about the high cost of lethal-injection drugs
State officials spent $1.175 million on lethal injection doses over the past year — $600,000 of which was spent on drugs that expired before use.
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Will there be more executions in Indiana in 2025?
Last month, Indiana ended its 15-year pause on the execution of inmates sentenced to death. However, legislation already has been filed in the Indiana General Assembly that would repeal the state’s death penalty.
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Web exclusive: SCOTUS decision ‘shuts door’ on ineffective counsel claims brought in federal court
In the winter of 2021, two death row prisoners raised claims in habeas corpus proceedings that their trial attorneys were constitutionally ineffective. But the nation’s highest court split in a decision last month ruling that they could not introduce evidence outside of the state court record due to restrictions imposed by a federal law.
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Articles
Indiana executes Jeffrey Weisheit for 2010 murders of two children
Prison officials closed blinds over an observation window before the drugs were administered, blocking witnesses from determining whether Weisheit was conscious or moved before he died.
Death row inmate’s attorneys press for execution pause until Indiana provides drug quality records
The lawyers submitted additional materials Tuesday, a day after Braun denied Weisheit’s request to commute his death sentence to life without parole.
Pharmacy linked to Indiana execution drug invoice faces possible suspension
Jeffrey Weisheit’s attorneys have asked Gov. Mike Braun to halt the Nov. 5 execution and order a review of Indiana’s lethal injection procedures and drug purchases.
Indiana governor rejects brain scans for death row inmate ahead of execution
The decision follows weeks of legal efforts by his attorneys to obtain additional medical evidence for his clemency case.
Father of slain children supports clemency for Indiana death row inmate
Steven Lynch, whose children died in a 2010 house fire set by Weisheit, signed an affidavit urging mercy ahead of Weisheit’s scheduled Nov. 5 execution.
Indiana death row inmate seeks execution delay for brain scans ahead of clemency hearings
A federal judge approved funding for the testing but ruled she lacked authority to order prison officials to transport him for the scans.
Tennessee governor halts executions after Christa Gail Pike survives lethal injection attempt
A death penalty expert said it was an unprecedented failure, and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee halted the one remaining execution for the rest of the year.
Execution of Tennessee woman blocked by federal court with hours to spare
Christa Pike had been sentenced to death three decades ago for the murder of a classmate, a crime the woman committed at age 18.
Indiana high court orders Jeffrey Weisheit executed Nov. 5
All five justices concurred in the Aug. 28 order. Jeffrey Weisheit is scheduled to be executed Nov. 5 by lethal injection at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City.
Prosecutors push for trial for man accused of killing Charlie Kirk
Prosecutors are seeking to convince a state judge they have enough evidence to bring the defendant in Kirk’s assassination to trial and seek the death penalty.
Indiana’s new prison already equipped for firing squads
Correction officials confirmed Westville can accommodate firing squad executions as lawmakers, governor and the U.S. Justice Department push for changes to protocols.
Indiana AG seeks execution date for death row inmate convicted in 2010 killings of two children
The request comes days after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Jeffrey Weisheit’s case, ending years of state and federal appeals.
Gov. Mike DeWine wants Ohio to abolish the death penalty, saying it is not a deterrent
The state declared execution unconstitutional in 1972, but reinstated capital punishment in 1981 under a law co-written by DeWine.
Supreme Court rejects Alabama request for nitrogen gas execution
The ruling capped an extraordinary legal back-and-forth over the humaneness of nitrogen gas as an execution method.
Judge bars Alabama nitrogen gas execution, says method is unconstitutionally cruel
The issue seems likely bound for the U.S. Supreme Court, which so far has never ruled a state’s execution method to be unconstitutional.
Seventh Circuit Court affirms lower court’s denial of preliminary injunction for press access to state executions
The court denied the appellants’ two claims, including that Indiana’s policy on executions violates their qualified First Amendment right of access to certain government proceedings.
Supreme Court rules for Black death row inmate from Mississippi over racial bias in makeup of jury
Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s three liberal justices joined with Justice Brett Kavanaugh in the 5-4 vote.
Supreme Court dismisses death penalty case on people with mental disabilities
The court chose not to weigh in on what standards states should use to assess whether a person who commits a crime must be spared the death penalty because of intellectual disabilities.
Court rules government cannot pursue death penalty in case of man accused of killing Terre Haute police officer
The government’s decision to pursue capital punishment came several months after President Donald Trump issued an executive order stating the government should pursue the death penalty in every federal case involving the murder of a law enforcement officer.