Man put to death in Michigan City for 2010 Evansville child killings

Residents of Evansville and across the state woke to news that Jeffrey Weisheit was no longer on death row. The Indiana Department of Correction confirmed his death by lethal injection at 12:45 a.m. Thursday. The procedure began shortly after midnight at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City.

Weisheit’s lawyers had pushed for a 10-day pause hours before the scheduled time. They argued that questions remained about how the state acquired and managed the drugs used for the execution. Specifically, they pointed to the role of Indianapolis pharmacy Pharmaneek and a $5,000 campaign contribution its owner made to Attorney General Todd Rokita in June. The pharmacy is set to face a license revocation hearing on Monday, five days after the execution.

The Indiana Supreme Court voted 3-2 to deny the emergency stay. Chief Justice Loretta Rush and one other justice wanted more time to review the pharmacy concerns. The majority ruled otherwise, clearing the way for the execution to proceed as planned.

Governor Mike Braun noted that state and federal courts had examined Weisheit’s case multiple times since his 2013 conviction. None of those reviews overturned his sentence. The State Parole Board also gave a unanimous recommendation against clemency.

Weisheit was found guilty of killing 8-year-old Alyssa Lynch and her 5-year-old brother, Caleb, in an arson at their Evansville home in 2010. He was dating their mother, who left the children in his care while she worked. Investigators found Caleb bound with duct tape and a washcloth over his mouth. Firefighters discovered Alyssa dead inside a closet after the fire.

Attorney General Todd Rokita expressed sympathy to the family, hoping the process would bring them some peace. Weisheit spoke no final words. His last meal consisted of barbecue ribs from Texas Corral and a can of Mountain Dew.