Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced on Wednesday that the state will be executing a convicted killer, marking the first execution in 15 years. Joseph Corcoran, who was convicted of killing four people in 1997, will be put to death after exhausting his federal appeals in 2016.
Governor Holcomb stated that the Indiana Department of Correction has acquired the necessary drug, pentobarbital, for the execution. Attorney General Todd Rokita filed a motion urging the state Supreme Court to set an execution date for Corcoran.
The last execution in Indiana was in 2009, and the state currently has eight people on death row. The 15-year pause in executions was due to the unavailability of lethal injection drugs, but now the state has possession of pentobarbital.
Rokita emphasized that the death penalty serves as a means of providing justice for victims and holding perpetrators accountable. Corcoran’s federal defender, Larry Komp, stated that they will respond to the state’s motion and seek clarity on the lethal injection protocol.
With the difficulty in obtaining lethal injection drugs, some states are exploring alternative execution methods. Earlier this year, Alabama used nitrogen gas for an execution, which was criticized for being inhumane.
Corcoran, who has been on death row since 1999, was convicted of killing his brother and three others in 1997. The resumption of executions in Indiana prisons is now being sought by Governor Holcomb.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
