Indiana executes Jeffrey Weisheit for 2010 killings of two children
Weisheit, 50, was put to death at the Indiana State Prison on November 5, marking the state's first execution this year.
By Aiko Sato ·
Jeffrey Weisheit died early Thursday morning after Indiana carried out his execution.
The 50-year-old man was pronounced dead at 12:45 a.m. at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. The lethal injection process began just after midnight, according to Noelle Russell, the chief communications officer for the Indiana Department of Correction.
Weisheit was convicted of killing two children, ages 8 and 5, in 2010. The victims were the children of his girlfriend. He set fire to her house in the Evansville area, which resulted in their deaths. Russell stated that Weisheit did not offer any final words before his death. His final meal consisted of barbecue ribs.
This execution is the first for Indiana in 2026. Florida and Alabama also scheduled executions for the same day. If both proceed, three people will be put to death in the United States on a single day for the second time this year.
Jeffrey Weisheit’s legal team had asked Indiana Governor Mike Braun to allow for brain scans. The scans were intended to support arguments regarding his history of head injuries and mental health issues. Braun declined that request. He also turned down a plea to reduce Weisheit’s sentence from death to life in prison.
Weisheit’s legal team raised a final objection concerning the source of the lethal drugs. The state planned to use drugs from a pharmacy currently facing a disciplinary hearing at the Indiana Pharmacy Board. The Department of Correction said it remained confident in its ability to carry out the execution humanely.
Governor Braun released a statement after the execution. He noted that Weisheit’s case had been reviewed by state and federal courts multiple times. Braun said those reviews never resulted in an overturned sentence. He added that the sentence was carried out as ordered by the court.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita described the execution as long-awaited justice. He referred to the victims, Alyssa Lynch and her brother Caleb, as two innocent children whose lives were stolen in an act of unspeakable cruelty.
