Overview

• Benjamin Ritchie, 45, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at Indiana State Prison before sunrise on May 20, marking the state’s second execution in 15 years.
• Governor Mike Braun denied clemency following a unanimous recommendation from the Indiana Parole Board, allowing the execution to proceed as planned.
• Ritchie’s attorneys have filed a last-minute petition with the U.S. Supreme Court and a federal court challenge, arguing his brain damage and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders impair his culpability.
• The Indiana Supreme Court recently declined to halt the execution but acknowledged the jury was not presented with accurate information about Ritchie’s mental impairments.
• Officer Bill Toney’s family, including his widow, has emphasized the need for closure after 25 years, describing the execution as a step toward justice.