Indiana Board Advises Governor to Keep Death Penalty for Jeffrey Weisheit

The Indiana state parole board recommended on Wednesday that Governor Mike Braun deny a clemency request from Jeffrey Weisheit, who faces execution by lethal injection on Nov. 5. Weisheit, 50, is currently serving a death sentence for the 2010 murders of his girlfriend's two children in a house fire in Evansville.

Board chairperson Gwendolyn Horth wrote to Braun that the panel unanimously supported denying the request. Under state law, Weisheit has the right to seek a commutation to life in prison. The final decision rests with the governor, who has the constitutional authority to grant or deny reprieves.

The board reviewed two days of testimony from the convicted man, his attorneys, the victims' parents, and first responders. In 2010, 8-year-old Alyssa Lynch and 5-year-old Caleb Lynch died in a blaze at their home. Investigators found Alyssa's body in a closet and Caleb's on a mattress, where he had been restrained with duct tape. Railroad flares were found in his underwear and beneath his body.

During his Oct. 16 appearance, Weisheit told the board, "There is no excuse or explanation for what I did." He stated his desire to live and improve the lives of others while in prison. His relationship with the children's mother, Lisa Lynch, was ending at the time of the fire. Before the incident, Weisheit had canceled a planned engagement ring order and withdrawn funds from his bank account, according to Tyler Banks of the Indiana attorney general's office.

Lisa Lynch argued against clemency via video testimony, stating that the act showed no mercy or remorse. "Clemency is meant for those who show genuine remorse and hold true value for human life," she said. The children's father, Steven Lynch, indicated he would accept a sentence of life in prison instead of the death penalty.

Defense attorney Joseph Perkovich noted that Weisheit has a history of head injuries and mental health issues that he believes were not fully addressed during the 2013 trial. On Wednesday, Perkovich said the governor is considering a request to transport Weisheit from prison for brain scans. The board acknowledged this information in its review but found that Weisheit's mental health history does not greatly distinguish his situation from that of most other incarcerated individuals.

The governor now holds the final authority on whether to commute the sentence to life in prison or allow the scheduled Nov. 5 execution to proceed as planned.