An Indiana man, Joseph Corcoran, aged 49, was executed in the state’s first execution in 15 years. He was convicted in the 1997 killing of four people, including his brother and his sister’s fiancé. He was pronounced dead at 12:44 a.m. CST at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, Indiana, making it the 24th execution in the U.S. this year.
Corcoran was convicted in the July 1997 shootings of his brother, his sister’s fiancé, and two other men. Prior to the shooting, he was under stress due to his sister’s upcoming marriage requiring him to move out of their shared home in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Corcoran reportedly bragged about shooting and killing his parents in 1992, for which he was charged but later acquitted. Gov. Eric Holcomb announced plans to resume state executions, resulting in Corcoran’s death sentence being carried out. His attorneys had challenged the sentence claiming he was severely mentally ill.
The state executed Corcoran using pentobarbital. His attorneys made multiple appeals, including to the U.S. Supreme Court, which were all denied. Religious groups, disability rights advocates, and others opposed his execution.
“There is no need and no benefit from this execution. It’s all show,” said Abraham Borowitz, director of Death Penalty Action.
Corcoran’s wife, Tahina Corcoran, expressed that her husband was “very mentally ill” and did not fully understand what was happening to him.
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