Indiana Gov. Mike Braun rejected a clemency request Monday from Jeffrey Weisheit, who is scheduled to be executed Thursday for setting a fire that killed his girlfriend’s two children in 2010. The Republican governor said preparations for the execution would proceed, accepting the Indiana Parole Board’s recommendation that the death sentence remain in place.
Weisheit, 50, was convicted of murder and arson. Indiana law allowed him to petition Braun to replace his death sentence with a life sentence. In announcing his decision, Braun said the Indiana Department of Correction would continue its preparations to carry out the sentence ordered by the court.
During a public hearing on Oct. 16, Weisheit admitted committing the crimes and asked to be allowed to live. He said he wanted to use his life to help improve the lives of others in prison. His request for clemency sought a reduction in punishment for the convictions.
The victims, 8-year-old Alyssa Lynch and 5-year-old Caleb Lynch, were found in the remains of their home after the fire in the Evansville area. Alyssa was discovered in a closet. Caleb was found on a mattress, bound with duct tape, with one railroad flare in his underwear and another beneath his body.
Their mother, Lisa Lynch, was working when the fire occurred. Investigators said her relationship with Weisheit was deteriorating at the time. His lawyers have argued that his history of head injuries and mental health problems received insufficient attention during his trial in 2013.
Apart from the clemency request, Weisheit’s legal team asked Braun to postpone the execution and examine the state’s acquisition of lethal injection drugs. The lawyers said Indiana had bought pentobarbital from a pharmacy facing scrutiny from the state attorney general.
The attorneys also pointed to the recent unsuccessful execution attempt involving Christa Pike in Tennessee. They cited Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s decision to review what happened during that attempted lethal injection as part of their appeal for a delay and review in Indiana.
Responding to the legal team’s efforts, Braun spokesperson Griffin Reid said the “process is over.” The Indiana Department of Correction said it remained confident in its procedures and its ability to carry out Weisheit’s sentence humanely for the murders of the two children.
