Parole Board Recommends Death Penalty for Man in 2010 Double Homicide

The Indiana Parole Board voted unanimously on Wednesday to deny clemency for Jeffrey Weisheit, a man sentenced to die for killing his girlfriend's two children in a 2010 house fire. The recommendation places the final authority with Governor Mike Braun, who must decide whether to uphold the lethal injection scheduled for November 5.

Weisheit, 50, was convicted of murder and arson after the bodies of 8-year-old Alyssa Lynch and 5-year-old Caleb Lynch were found in an Evansville home. Investigators recovered Alyssa in a closet. Caleb’s body was located on a mattress, where he had been restrained with duct tape. A railroad flare was found in his underwear, and another lay beneath his body.

Chairperson Gwendolyn Horth wrote to the governor, stating, “We unanimously recommend that you deny Jeffrey Weisheit's request.” The board held two days of hearings featuring testimony from Weisheit, his legal team, the children's parents, and first responders from the 2010 incident.

During the proceedings, Weisheit acknowledged the gravity of his actions. “There is no excuse or explanation for what I did,” he said on October 16. He expressed a desire to live and use his time in prison to improve the lives of other inmates.

Lisa Lynch, the children's mother, argued that Weisheit showed little mercy. “Clemency is meant for those who show genuine remorse and hold true value for human life,” she told the board via video. “Nothing about the murder of my children showed mercy, humanity or remorse.” Her husband, Steven Lynch, indicated he would accept a life sentence as an alternative to the death penalty.

Defense attorney Joseph Perkovich noted that Weisheit suffered from head injuries and mental health issues that he felt were insufficiently addressed during the 2013 trial. However, the board concluded that these factors did not greatly distinguish Weisheit's situation from that of the majority of incarcerated individuals.

Attorney Tyler Banks of the Indiana attorney general’s office provided context on Weisheit's behavior before the fire. He noted that Weisheit had recently quit his job, withdrew funds from his bank, and canceled an engagement ring order. He told the jeweler he was planning to leave the country soon.