Benjamin Ritchie executed at prison in Michigan City

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. - The state of Indiana executed convicted murderer Benjamin Ritchie early Tuesday morning.




According to a statement from the Indiana State Prison, the execution process started at 1 a.m. ET. Ritchie was pronounced dead at 1:46 a.m. ET. He died by lethal injection.




Ritchie spent more than two decades on death row after being convicted in the 2000 shooting death of William Toney, a Beech Grove police officer.




He was at the center of a clemency hearing this month in which his attorneys argued he'd suffered brain damage as a child that severely affected his ability to make decisions. They also alleged ineffective counsel, saying his trial lawyers failed to full explore how fetal alcohol syndrome and lead exposure had affected him.




The parole board ultimately recommended that the execution proceed.




Gov. Mike Braun followed that recommendation and declined to stop the execution. Ritchie and his attorneys learned Monday night that the U.S. Supreme Court denied his petition for a stay. It was his last chance for a reprieve.




According to the Indiana Department of Correction, Ritchie's last meal was the "Tour of Italy" from Olive Garden.




His last words were, "I love my family, my friends, and all the support I've gotten. I hope they all find peace."

Attorney's account

"Mr. Ritchie looked up at us smiled and waved, laid back down," said attorney Steve Schutte, who witnessed the execution at Ritchie's request. Under state law, Ritchie was allowed to have five witnesses at the execution.




"A few seconds later he was speaking while he was lying down. His left arm was clenching and his feet were moving for about 10 seconds," Schutte said.




Schutte recalled Ritchie twitching for a few seconds before lying back down. A few minutes later, prison staff closed the blinds.




He called the execution a "foolish, senseless, agonizing waste of time and money.




"The man executed today, though he himself acknowledges that he committed a senseless crime 25 years ago, is not the same person that committed that crime," he said.

FOP reaction

The Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police released a statement about the execution:

The hour has come.




Nearly 25 years later, Justice is fully served.




The sanctity of innocent life is paramount.




'Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.'




-Genesis 9:6




We pray for the family of Beech Grove Police Officer William "Bill" Toney End of Watch 9/29/2000




They have patiently awaited the full measure of the law to be carried out.




While this can never restore their loss, it upholds the value of Bill's life and the sacrifice that he and this family made.




To the residents of Beech Grove, know that we will always stand the line for your safety and protection.




'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.'

Rick Snyder, Indianapolis FOP president

Ritchie's execution marked Indiana's second in 15 years. In December, the state executed Joseph Corcoran, who had been convicted of shooting four people to death in 1997.




Last week, a federal judge rejected a preliminary injunction filed on behalf of media groups seeking to witness the execution. The judge said state rules barring the media don't violate the First Amendment or amount to discriminatory treatment of the press.





via: https://fox59.com/indiana-news/benjamin-ritchie-executed-at-prison-in-michigan-city/