The State of Indiana executed its first inmate in 15 years this morning after the Indiana Supreme Court ordered the execution of Joseph Corcoran, 49, for his conviction in 1999.
The Indiana Supreme Court issued an order for the execution of Corcoran, which was to be carried out before the hour of sunrise today, Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Corcoran was convicted in 1997 for the murders of his brother, James Corcoran, his sister’s fiancé, Robert Scott Turner, and two of their friends, Timothy Bricker and Douglass Stillwell. Corcoran reportedly committed the homicides with a semi-automatic rifle at the home he lived in with his older sister and brother in Fort Wayne at 22-years-old.
Prior to his execution, Corcoran’s attorneys filed a request at the Indiana Supreme Court requesting them to consider his competency due to a paranoid schizophrenia diagnosis in 1999. The court denied the request on Dec. 5.
Corcoran reportedly requested Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for his last meal. The execution process, where Corcoran was given a lethal dose of pentobarbital, began shortly after 12 a.m. CST this morning, and Corcoran was pronounced deceased at 12:44 a.m. CST.
Corcoran’s last words were reportedly, “Not really. Let’s get this over with.”
Attorney General Todd Rokita issued a statement regarding the execution earlier this morning. It reads:
Early this morning, Indiana conducted its first execution since 2009. Joseph Corcoran’s case worked its way through our judicial system and today he finally paid his debt to society as justice was provided to his victims.
A jury recommended and a judge imposed a sentence of death for the senseless murders of four people. My office fought to defend that sentence and state law every step of the way, and the Indiana Department of Correction carried it out professionally.
According to state records, the last man executed by the State of Indiana was Matthew Wrinkles on Dec. 11, 2009, making him the 95th person executed by the State since 1897 and the 21st since 1981 after the reinstatement of the death penalty. More information regarding the history of the people executed in Indiana may be found here.