Indiana Parole Board rejects clemency plea for convicted Beech Grove cop killer

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Parole Board has rejected a clemency plea filed by Benjamin Ritchie, recommending that Indiana Gov. Mike Braun proceed with his execution next week.




As FOX59/CBS4 previously reported, Ritchie had asked that his death sentence be commuted to life without parole so he could continue counselling other inmates.




During its review of Ritchie's request, the board conducted a clemency hearing at the Indiana State Prison on May 5, coupled with multiple public hearings that were hosted at the Indiana Government Center, where they heard testimony from those in favor of the plea and those against it.




The board sifted through all documentation concerning Ritchie's decades of appeals, his jury trial and post-conviction relief proceedings.

The board said it considered the following factors when reaching its decision:

• The nature and circumstances of the offense





• The offender's criminal history





• History of institutional conduct





• The best interest of society

While the board acknowledged that Ritchie received some positive feedback from correctional officers, it stated "his institutional conduct record as a whole did not support the commutation of his sentence."




The board said it also reviewed "a vast amount of testimony and evidence" regarding Ritchie's documented history of child abuse and neglect, while Ritchie's lawyers contend that he suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder. The five-member panel also considered testimony from Toney's friends and family when reaching a decision.




"In weighing the factors provided to us by our statutory authority, we have determined that Benjamin Ritchie's request for clemency does not rise to the level of requiring a commutation of his death sentence," the letter concluded.




Mark Koselke, Deputy State Public Defender representing Ritchie, shared the following statement with FOX59/CBS4:




"We are extremely disappointed that the Parole Board concluded that Mr. Ritchie's death sentence is based on accurate information. Two out of four Indiana Supreme Court Justices, including Chief Justice Rush, said that the jury was not provided accurate evidence of Mr. Ritchie's severe brain damage. If the jury had heard this evidence, we believe he would have received a different sentence. We remain hopeful that Governor Braun will consider the unique, compounding impacts of Mr. Ritchie's age and brain damage and commute Benjamin Ritchie's sentence."




An execution date of May 20 was handed down to Ritchie after the Indiana Supreme Court denied his petition for post-conviction relief in mid-April. Ritchie has been sitting on death row after he was convicted of shooting and killing William Toney, an officer with the Beech Grove Police Department, on Sept. 29, 2000.




According to previous reports, the incident began as a police pursuit of a stolen van that Ritchie was driving. As Toney made up ground and caught up with Ritchie, he exited the vehicle and began fleeing on foot. Ritchie then turned around and fired four shots, fatally striking Toney.




Braun will have the final say on Ritchie's pending execution and confirmed Wednesday afternoon that he was reviewing the board's recommendation.





via: https://fox59.com/news/indiana-parole-board-rejects-clemency-plea-for-convicted-beech-grove-cop-killer/