Indiana death row holds 11 prisoners
This story originally was published on Jan. 31, 2014.
UPDATE MARCH 29, 2016: Indiana now has 11 inmates on death row, not including a woman sentenced to death in Indiana who is serving a life sentence in Ohio.
Since this story was first published in 2014, two men on this list are no longer facing a death sentence: Tommy R. Pruitt and Paul McManus.
A federal appeals court in June reversed the death sentence for Pruitt, ruling that he is intellectually disabled, the Indiana Lawyer reported.
McManus in August agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life without parole after a federal appeals court ordered that McManus be released or granted a new trial, the Evansville Courier & Press reported.
EARLIER:
One man shot four people he overheard talking about him.
Another stabbed two co-workers after he was fired.
Two others shot and killed police officers.
A total of 13 men are awaiting execution on Indiana's death row at Michigan City. One female also is facing the death penalty in Indiana, but she is being held in Ohio on a separate murder conviction.
In Indiana, the death sentence is given only in murder cases that involve circumstances such as rape, robbery, arson or if the victim was a child or law enforcement officer. A judge also will weigh additional aggravating factors, as well as mitigating factors, before determining whether a death sentence is appropriate.
The last execution in Indiana was Dec. 11, 2009, and none of the current death row inmates has an execution date.
Here is a look at all 14 inmates and their crimes. The bulk of this information was compiled by Clark County Prosecutor Steven Stewart and is used with his permission.
FREDRICK M. BAER
Madison County
Date of murders: Feb. 25, 2004.
Victims: Two.
Summary: Baer, working construction that afternoon, entered a nearby residence and tried to rape Cory Clark, 26, before using a knife to slit her throat and the throat of her 4-year-old daughter, Jenna. He then returned to work. The apparent motive was to feed a drug habit and a deviate sexual appetite. Baer also faced rape and burglary charges in Hamilton and Marion counties.
Conviction: Murder (two counts), robbery, attempted rape, theft.
Sentencing: June 9, 2005.
Aggravating circumstances: Robbery, attempted rape, two murders, on parole, victim less than 12.
Mitigating circumstances: Mental illness, paranoid personality disorder, anxiety disorder, severe drug dependency, difficult childhood, toxic parenting, bad report cards, impulsive, mother had chemotherapy, sister was killed.
DEBRA DENISE BROWN
Lake County (being held in Ohio on another murder charge)
Date of murder: June 18, 1984.
Victim: One.
Summary:Tamika Brown, 7, no relation to Debra Brown, and her 9-year-old niece, Annie, were walking back home from a candy store when they were confronted by Brown, then 21, and Alton Coleman. Brown and Coleman persuaded them to walk into the woods to play a game. Once there, they removed Tamika's shirt and tore it into small strips, which they used to bind and gag the children. Tamika was suffocated and stomped after she began to cry. Annie was raped. The crimes were part of a Midwestern spree that included up to eight murders, seven rapes, three kidnappings and 14 armed robberies. Coleman was executed April 26, 2002, in Ohio.
Conviction: Murder, attempted murder, child molesting.
Sentencing: June 23, 1986.
Aggravating circumstances: Child molesting, two prior murder convictions in Ohio.
Mitigating circumstances: Borderline mental retardation, substantial domination by Coleman, dependent personality, general lack of aggressiveness, head trauma as a child, age at time of murder.
JOSEPH EDWARD CORCORAN
Allen County
Date of murders: July 26, 1997.
Victims: Four.
Summary:Corcoran was living with his brother, James Corcoran; his sister, Kelly Nieto; and her fiance, Robert Turner. He became enraged when he heard his brother, Turner and two of his brother's friends, Timothy Bricker and Doug Stillwell, talking about him. After putting his 7-year-old niece in an upstairs bedroom, he loaded his semiautomatic rifle and fatally shot his brother, his brother's two friends and Turner. He then laid down the rifle, went to a neighbor's house and asked them to call police.
Conviction: Murder (four counts).
Sentencing: Aug. 26, 1999.
Aggravating circumstances: Multiple murders.
Mitigating circumstances: Extreme mental/emotional disturbance, capacity to appreciate criminality impaired, unable to assist defense because of mental illness, fully cooperated with police, admitted guilt, good behavior in jail, protected 7-year-old niece before murders, no significant prior criminal conduct, remorseful, young age at time of murders (22).
WILLIAM GIBSON
Floyd County (jury brought in from Dearborn County)
Date of murder: April 19, 2012.
Victim: One.
Summary:Gibson was convicted in October 2013 of bludgeoning and sexually assaulting Christine Whitis, a family friend who had come to his New Albany home to console Gibson after his mother's death. Gibson strangled Whitis and broke her ribs and lower spine before cutting off her breast with a kitchen knife. Gibson's sister found the body in his garage and alerted police. During the investigation, police found the body of a missing Charlestown, Ind., woman buried in his back yard and also connected him to a 2003 killing. He is awaiting trial in those cases.
Conviction: Murder.
Sentencing: Nov. 11, 2013.
Aggravating circumstances: Sexual assault, dismemberment.
Mitigating circumstances: Low IQ, history of drug/alcohol problems.
ERIC D. HOLMES
Marion County
Date of murders: Nov. 16, 1989.
Victims: Two.
Summary:Holmes, then 21, was fired from his job at Shoney's Restaurant after getting into an argument with co-worker Amy Foshee. At closing on the day of his firing, Holmes waited in the parking lot with Michael Vance. Foshee left work with managers Theresa Blosl and Charles Ervin, who was carrying the restaurant's receipts. Holmes and Vance trapped them in the restaurant's foyer and attacked them, stabbing them multiple times and grabbing the money. Blosl and Ervin died; Foshee survived. Vance was tried separately and sentenced to 190 years.
Conviction: Murder (two counts), attempted murder, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery.
Sentencing: March 26, 1993.
Aggravating circumstances: Robbery, two murders.
Mitigating circumstances: Young age at time of murders, accomplice did not receive death sentence, no prior criminal record, mother died when he was 7, suffered from child neglect and abuse, IQ of 79, has adjusted well to jail.
KEVIN ISOM
Lake County
Date of murderS: Aug. 7, 2007.
Victims: Three.
Summary: After learning his wife was planning to leave him, Isom used his 12-gauge shotgun with a pistol grip, .357 Magnum revolver and .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun to kill his wife, Cassindra, 40, and her children, Michael Moore, 16, and Ci'Andria Cole, 13. He then barricaded himself in the family's apartment and shot at police officers attempting to take him into custody.
Conviction: Murder (three counts).
Sentencing: March 8, 2013.
Aggravating circumstances: Three murders, the age of young victims.
Mitigating circumstances: Moved frequently as a child, mother drank while pregnant, father was absent from his life, recently fired from his job, wife was leaving him.
WAYNE D. KUBSCH
St. Joseph County
Date of murders: Sept. 18, 1998.
Victims: Three.
Summary: Sept. 18, 1998, was the 31st birthday of Kubsch's wife, Elizabeth. It was also the day she was found dead by her 13-year-old son under the stairs in the basement of the home she shared with her husband. She had been stabbed numerous times and was hogtied with duct tape. Also discovered in the basement were the bodies of Elizabeth's former husband, Rick Milewski, and their 10-year-old son from that marriage, Aaron Milewski. Aaron had been stabbed 21 times and shot once in the mouth. Rick had been stabbed in the heart and shot twice in the head. Kubsch was more than $400,000 in debt, and two months before the murders had taken out a $575,000 life insurance policy on Elizabeth.
Conviction: Murder (three counts).
Sentencing: Aug. 28, 2000.
Aggravating circumstances: Victim less than 12 years old, three murders.
Mitigating circumstances: No significant prior criminal record, poor and deprived childhood, dysfunctional family, has young children who need his support.
PAUL MICHAEL McMANUS
Editor's note: McManus is no longer on death row
Vanderburgh County
Date of murders: Feb. 26, 2001.
Victims: Three.
Summary: McManus was separated from his wife, Melissa. His two daughters, Lindsay and Shelby, lived with Melissa. Divorce papers were served on him at his mother's house on the day of the murders. McManus took a taxi to his wife's residence and shot her once in the leg and three times in the head. He then shot 8-year-old Lindsey three times in the head and Shelby, 23 months, once in the head. After the shootings, he drove to the Henderson bridge between Indiana and Kentucky, climbed the equivalent of 11 stories to the top and jumped. He survived. McManus had told acquaintances the weekend before the murders to "watch the papers" because he was going to "do something big."
Conviction: Murder (three counts).
Sentencing: June 5, 2002.
Aggravating circumstances: Victims less than 12 years old, three murders.
Mitigating circumstances: No significant prior criminal record, depression and mental abnormalities, irresistible impulse.
MICHAEL DEAN OVERSTREET
Johnson County
Date of murder: Sept. 27, 1997.
Victim(s): One.
Summary: Kelly Eckart was an 18-year-old freshman at Franklin College working her way through school with a part-time job at Wal-Mart. On Sept. 27, 1997, she left work, met briefly with her boyfriend and then drove toward her home in Shelby County. That was the last time she was seen alive. The next morning, her car was found abandoned in a rural area, with its lights on and keys in the ignition. Four days later, her partially nude body was found in a ravine in Brown County. She had been strangled with her own shoestring and a strap cut from the suspenders of her overalls. She also had been shot once in the forehead. Semen was discovered on her, which was later matched through DNA analysis to Overstreet.
Conviction: Murder, rape, confinement.
Sentencing: July 31, 2000.
Aggravating circumstances: Rape.
Mitigating circumstances: Deprived and abusive childhood, schizotypal personality disorder/psychological deterioration, hallucination as a child including "demons," mother failed to seek mental help for him, three months in Marines before discharge for mental illness, he loves his children and nieces who idolize him, has only a misdemeanor criminal history, model prisoner since his incarceration.
TOMMY R. PRUITT
Editor's note: Pruitt is no longer on death row
Dearborn County (change of venue from Morgan County)
Date of murder: Victim died July 10, 2001, from June 14, 2001, shooting.
Victim: One.
Summary: Morgan County Deputy Dan Starnes had information that Pruitt had been involved in a burglary a few days earlier in Bloomington and may have stolen guns in his vehicle. Starnes pulled Pruitt over on a rural county road. Pruitt had a scanner in his car, and it is believed he overheard Starnes say he was going to search the vehicle. Pruitt got out and pulled a .45-caliber handgun. A gun battle ensued, with Starnes suffering five gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen. Pruitt was shot seven times but recovered. Pruitt also shot at Starnes' 19-year-old son, Ryan, who was in the vehicle as part of a summer internship program.
Conviction: Murder, attempted murder, possession of firearm by serious violent felon, receiving stolen property, resisting law enforcement, habitual offender.
Sentencing: Nov. 21, 2003.
Aggravating circumstances: Victim was law enforcement officer.
Mitigating circumstances: Mental retardation, IQ of 60, mental illness, repeated head injuries, traumatic childhood, medical malpractice caused death of Starnes.
BENJAMIN RITCHIE
Marion County
Date of murder: Sept. 29, 2000.
Victims: One.
Summary: While on routine patrol, Beech Grove police officer Matthew Hickey noticed a white van matching the description of a van stolen earlier in the evening. Hickey gave chase and was joined by Officer William Toney and Sgt. Robert Mercuri, each driving separate police cars. The chase ended when Ritchie wrecked the van, then fled on foot. Toney chased Ritchie through several yards and was shot five times with a 9 mm Glock handgun. One of the bullets missed Toney's bulletproof vest by an inch, cut through an artery, punctured his lung and lodged in his vertebrae. At sentencing, Toney's wife was reading her victim impact statement when Ritchie repeatedly interrupted her, laughed and called her a "bitch" when she declared him a coward.
Conviction: Murder, possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, auto theft, resisting law enforcement, carrying handgun without license.
Sentencing: Oct. 15, 2002.
Aggravating circumstances: Victim was law enforcement officer, on probation or parole.
Mitigating circumstances: Defendant's youthful age (20), unstable family, diagnosis of cognitive disorder NOS (Not Otherwise Specified), low IQ, abused, head injuries as a child, mother abused drugs and alcohol during pregnancy, natural father unknown, meager economic status.
JOHN M. STEPHENSON
Warrick County
Date of murders: March 28, 1996.
Victims: Three.
Summary: Jay Tyler, 29, and his wife, Kathy, 29, picked up Brandy Southard, 21, from her work in Evansville and were chased by Stephenson to an intersection in rural Warrick County, where he emptied a 30-round SKS assault rifle into the pickup truck and their bodies. Each was then stabbed repeatedly. Stephenson also was convicted of an earlier burglary and theft from Southard's residence. His 140-day trial was at the time believed to be the longest and most expensive in Indiana history. Sister Helen Prejean, who was portrayed in the movie "Dead Man Walking," was flown in to testify at the sentencing hearing.
Conviction: Murder (three counts), burglary, theft.
Sentencing: June 17, 1997.
Aggravating circumstances: Three murders.
Mitigating circumstances: He has shown that he could be safely imprisoned for life without parole, some multiple murderers are in the Indiana Department of Correction and not on death row.
ROY LEE WARD
Spencer County
Date of murder: July 11, 2001.
Victim: One.
Summary: Stacy Payne, 15, and her 14-year-old sister, Melissa, were home alone in their rural Dale, Ind., home when Ward entered and attacked Stacy with a knife. Melissa, who was napping upstairs, was awakened by Stacy's screams. From the top of the stairs Melissa saw Ward on top of Stacy. She called 911 and heard Stacy pleading, "Stop!," while Ward said, "You better be quiet." Ward was still at the scene, covered with blood and pocket knife in hand, when police arrived. Stacy's torso was nearly sliced in two, her throat was cut to her windpipe and her wrist was slashed to the bone. She was, nevertheless, alive for a short time. Ward was on probation for a burglary in Missouri at the time and had a dozen convictions for public indecency/indecent exposure.
Conviction: Murder, rape and criminal deviate conduct.
Sentencing: Dec. 18, 2002.
Aggravating circumstances: Rape/criminal deviate conduct, on probation or parole, mutilation/torture.
Mitigating circumstances: Dysfunctional family, education, and social environment, parents separated and divorced, mental retardation, low intelligence, mental illness and instability, exhibitionism disorder.
JEFFREY A. WEISHEIT
Clark County (change of venue from Vanderburgh County)
Date of murders: April 10, 2010.
Victims: Two.
Summary: Weisheit was convicted for setting a fire that killed Alyssa Lynch, 8, and Caleb Lynch, 5. They were the children of his girlfriend. He fled the scene and was arrested in Kentucky after OnStar located his vehicle. When police tried to stop his car, Weisheit led them on a high-speed chase before Stop Sticks disabled his car. He then charged officers, screaming "shoot me." After his arrest, Weisheit admitted stuffing a dish towel in Caleb's mouth and using duct tape to bind his arms behind his back. Two flares were found near the boy's body. Autopsies revealed the children were alive when the fire was set.
Conviction: Murder, arson.
Sentencing: July 11, 2013.
Aggravating factors: Multiple victims, their young ages.
Mitigating factors: Bipolar disorder.
For more on these cases and other information on Indiana's death penalty, check out the Clark County prosecutor's website.