MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — Joseph Corcoran, an inmate on Indiana’s death row, has selected his final meal ahead of his scheduled execution on Wednesday morning. According to the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC), Corcoran, who has been convicted of quadruple murder, requested Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
Corcoran, 45, was sentenced to death for the 1997 killings of his brother, James Corcoran; his sister’s fiancé, Robert Scott Turner; and two family friends, Timothy Bricker and Douglass Stillwell, in Allen County. Reports from The Associated Press (AP) state that Corcoran shot all four victims. Authorities speculated that Corcoran’s actions were motivated by stress related to the potential loss of his living arrangement with his sister, who was planning to marry Turner at the time.
Corcoran’s execution, scheduled to take place before sunrise on Wednesday, marks a significant moment in Indiana’s use of the death penalty. It will be the state’s first execution since 2009, when Matthew Eric Wrinkles was executed for a 1994 triple homicide.
The state announced in September that Corcoran’s execution date had been set. Additionally, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb confirmed that the state had secured pentobarbital, the drug commonly used in lethal injections. However, the state has been tight-lipped about the cost and details of the procurement process. A records request by FOX59 and CBS4 revealed that the cost and supplier information were redacted, citing state laws that protect the anonymity of those involved in executions.
Despite no executions having taken place in Indiana over the past 14 years, capital punishment has been carried out federally at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute. Since 2020, at least 13 federal executions have occurred. In total, Indiana has executed 92 prisoners since it first implemented capital punishment in 1894, using methods ranging from hanging to the electric chair before adopting lethal injection.
Ahead of Corcoran’s execution, the Indiana Department of Correction confirmed that media representatives would not be permitted to witness the execution. However, the IDOC released photos of the execution chamber for public viewing.
Corcoran’s legal team has fought to delay or block the execution, claiming that he may not be mentally fit to be executed. At the time of writing, their efforts had been unsuccessful. Former defense attorney Mark Thoma expressed concerns over Corcoran’s mental health, suggesting that he was not mentally competent for execution. “I always hoped someone would step in and say, ‘This is wrong,’” Thoma told FOX59 and CBS4. “We should not be doing this to someone who is clearly mentally ill.”
Sam Adams, an attorney for Indiana Disability Rights, raised concerns about the broader implications of the death penalty on due process, stressing that irreversible actions should not be taken if there are doubts about a defendant’s legal rights being fully upheld. “When there’s any question about whether an individual received due process, the death penalty, which is irrevocable, is deeply problematic,” Adams stated.
In addition to Corcoran’s attorney and former counsel, Corcoran’s sister and various advocacy groups, including Death Penalty Action, Journey of Hope, the Indiana Abolition Coalition, and the Catholic Diocese of Gary, have all voiced strong opposition to the execution.
Corcoran is one of eight inmates currently on death row in Indiana. In September, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced plans to seek an execution date for Benjamin Ritchie, who was convicted of killing a Beech Grove police officer in 2000. However, no execution date has been set for Ritchie as of yet.
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