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  • Message from Prosecuting Attorney
  • Clark County Cases
  • Current Indiana Death Row
  • Indiana Death Row 1977 - 2008
  • Indiana Executions Since 1900
  • Indiana Death Row Statistics
  • Indiana Death Penalty Laws
  • The Death Penalty in the U.S.
  • Capital Punishment Timeline
  • U.S. Executions Since 1976
  • Methods of Execution
  • Public Opinion Polls
  • Updates Since April 1, 2008
  • 1000+ Death Penalty Links

  • Prior to 1913, all executions in Indiana were by hanging. From 1913 until 1995, all executions were by electrocution. Since 1995, all executions have been by lethal injection. Current death penalty procedure is found at Indiana Code 35-38-6 and requires that the execution by lethal injection take place inside the walls of the Indiana State Prison at Michigan City before sunrise.

    A total of 89 convicted murderers have been executed in Indiana since 1900. Most recently, two were executed in 2001; Gerald Bivins (March 14, 2001) and James Lowery (June 27, 2001); two were executed in 2003: Kevin Lee Hough (May 2, 2003) and Joseph L. Trueblood (June 13, 2003); five were executed in 2005: Donald Ray Wallace (March 10, 2005), Bill J. Benefiel (April 21, 2005), Gregory Scott Johnson (May 25, 2005), Kevin A. Conner (July 27, 2005), and Alan L. Matheney (September 28, 2005); One was executed in 2006: Marvin L. Bieghler (January 27, 2006); and two were executed in 2007: David Leon Woods (May 4, 2007), Michael Lambert (June 15, 2007).

    Of this total, all 89 were men; none were juveniles at the time of the murder; 65 (73.0%) were white and 24 (27.0%) were black; 3 were executed on the same day: June 10, 1937. There were no executions in Indiana from June 15, 1961 to March 9, 1981. Only 19 have been executed in Indiana since the death penalty was reinstated in 1977. In addition, two men on Indiana Death Row were recently executed in other states: Michael Lockhart (1997 in Texas) and Alton Coleman (2002 in Ohio). The five convicted murderers executed in 2005 was the most in any year this century except 1938, when Indiana executed 8 convicted murderers.

    Updates on executions after July 1, 2007 can be found here.



    Michael Allen Lambert
    Delaware County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    June 15, 2007 12:29 a.m.





    David Leon Woods
    Boone County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    May 4, 2007 1:35 a.m.





    Marvin L. Bieghler
    Howard County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    January 27, 2006 1:17 a.m.





    Alan Lehman Matheney
    Lake County (Venued from St. Joseph County)
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    September 28, 2005 12:27 a.m.





    Kevin A. Conner
    Marion County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    July 27, 2005 12:31 a.m.





    Gregory Scott Johnson
    Madison County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    May 25, 2005 12:28 a.m.





    Bill J. Benefiel
    Vigo County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    April 21, 2005 12:31 a.m.





    Donald Ray Wallace
    Vigo from Vanderburgh County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    March 10, 2005 12:23 a.m.





    Joseph L. Trueblood
    Lake County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    June 13, 2003 12:24 a.m.




    Kevin Lee Hough
    Lake County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    May 2, 2003 12:25 a.m.




    Alton Coleman
    Lake County
    Executed by Lethal Injection in Ohio
    April 26, 2002 10:13 a.m.




    James Lowery
    Boone from Tippecanoe County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    June 27, 2001 12:29 a.m.




    Gerald W. Bivins
    Boone County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    March 14, 2001 01:26 a.m.




    D. H. Fleenor
    Johnson from Jefferson County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    December 09, 1999 01:37 a.m.




    Robert A. Smith
    Sullivan County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    January 29, 1998 12:27 a.m.




    Michael Lee Lockhart
    Lake County
    Executed by Lethal Injection in Texas
    December 9, 1997 06:24 p.m.




    Gary Burris
    Marion County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    November 20, 1997 01:00 a.m.




    Tommie J. Smith
    Marion County
    Executed by Lethal Injection
    July 18, 1996 01:23 a.m.




    Gregory Resnover
    Marion County
    Executed by Electric Chair
    December 08, 1994 12:13 a.m.




    William Vandiver
    Lake County
    Executed by Electric Chair
    October 16, 1985 12:20 a.m.




    Steven T. Judy
    Morgan County
    Executed by Electric Chair
    March 09, 1981 12:29 a.m.



    Murderer
    Sentencing County
    Race/Sex/
    Age
    Sentencing Date
    Execution Date
    87. Michael A. Lambert Delaware W/M/36 01/17/1992 06/15/2007
    88. David Leon Woods Boone W/M/42 03/28/1985 05/04/2007
    87. Marvin L. Bieghler Howard W/M/58 03/25/1983 01/27/2006
    86. Alan L. Matheney Lake W/M/54 05/11/1990 09/27/2005
    85. Kevin A. Conner Marion W/M/40 11/03/1988 07/27/2005
    84. Gregory Scott Johnson Madison W/M/40 06/19/1986 05/25/2005
    83. Bill J. Benefiel Vigo W/M/48 11/03/1988 04/21/2005
    82. Donald Ray Wallace Vigo W/M/47 10/21/1982 03/10/2005
    81. Joseph L. Trueblood Tippecanoe W/M/46 08/12/1990 06/13/2003
    80. Kevin Lee Hough Allen W/M/43 06/11/1987 05/02/2003
    79. James Lowery Boone W/M/33 01/07/1983 06/27/2001
    78. Gerald W. Bivins Boone W/M/32 06/05/1992 03/14/2001
    77. D. H. Fleenor Johnson W/M/33 01/04/1984 12/09/1999
    76. Robert A. Smith Sullivan W/M/46 07/12/1996 01/29/1998
    75. Gary Burris Marion B/M/34 11/22/1991 11/20/1997
    74. Tommie J. Smith Marion B/M/27 07/23/1981 07/18/1996
    73. Gregory Resnover Marion B/M/29 07/23/1981 12/08/1994
    72. William Vandiver Lake W/M/35 01/20/1984 10/16/1985
    71. Steven T. Judy Morgan W/M/23 02/25/1980 03/09/1981
    70. Richard Kiefer Allen W/M/37 06/19/1959 06/15/1961
    69. Robert Watts Bartholomew B/M/27 03/31/1950 01/16/1951
    68. Franklin Click Allen W/M/30 12/01/1949 12/30/1950
    67. Thomas Kallas Lake W/M/58 01/14/1948 03/29/1949
    66. Robert Brown Jasper W/M/37 12/02/1947 02/23/1949
    65. Frank Badgley Jasper W/M/49 12/02/1947 02/23/1949
    64. Frank Quarles Vanderburgh B/M/44 02/15/1945 04/02/1946
    63. Carter Cleveland Lake B/M/63 06/23/1945 11/26/1945
    62. Virginius Carter Dearborn W/M/33 10/21/1941 02/10/1942
    61. Milton Hawkins Floyd W/M/24 12/24/1940 11/14/1941
    60. Adrian Miller Allen W/M/31 05/06/1939 08/16/1939
    59. James Swain Vanderburgh B/M/18 12/15/1937 06/23/1939
    58. Orells Easton Floyd W/M/25 08/31/1938 06/03/1939
    57. Henry Noelke Vanderburgh W/M/32 11/10/1937 09/30/1938
    56. Vurtis Neal Shelby W/M/22 04/05/1937 07/08/1938
    55. Hugh Marshall Shelby W/M/19 04/05/1937 07/08/1938
    54. Robert Shaw Lagrange W/M/29 03/09/1938 06/28/1938
    53. John Smith Whitley W/M/22 02/14/1938 06/01/1938
    52. Heber Hicks Franklin W/M/39 12/21/1936 05/06/1938
    51. Monroe White Newton B/M/32 01/22/1938 05/03/1938
    50. Willis Fuller Vigo W/M/28 10/31/1936 01/14/1938
    49. Richard Fortune Huntington W/M/26 10/18/1936 09/17/1937
    48. Frank Williams Franklin W/M/39 02/24/1937 06/10/1937
    47. John Poholsky Franklin W/M/35 02/24/1937 06/10/1937
    46. William Kuhlman Franklin W/M/28 02/18/1937 06/10/1937
    45. Chester Arkuszewski Laporte W/M/24 11/18/1936 03/12/1937
    44. Harry Singer Wabash W/M/25 09/15/1936 12/26/1936
    43. Clarence Thomas Whitley W/M/31 07/06/1936 10/19/1936
    42. Richard Chapman Lake W/M/20 02/04/1935 10/19/1935
    41. Olivett Griggs Lake B/M/32 03/07/1935 06/14/1935
    40. Gaston Slaughter Vigo B/M/35 10/01/1934 04/17/1935
    39. Edward Coffin Clark W/M/22 06/09/1934 10/09/1934
    38. Louis Hamilton Boone W/M/27 12/26/1932 09/28/1934
    37. Harley Edwards Jackson W/M/39 03/17/1933 03/02/1934
    36. Richard Perkins Hancock B/M/31 03/19/1932 01/01/1934
    35. Glen Shustrom Lake W/M/23 06/03/1932 02/28/1933
    34. John Moore Blackford W/M/28 11/17/1932 03/02/1933
    33. Charles Witt Boone W/M/26 01/28/1932 11/24/1932
    32. Ulysses Mackneezer Porter B/M/29 11/18/1929 07/01/1932
    31. Herbert Johnson Lagrange W/M/33 10/12/1931 02/12/1932
    30. Ignacio Saragova Laporte W/M/26 02/23/1931 06/24/1931
    29. James Britt Lake B/M/42 12/06/1929 03/21/1930
    28. John Hall Elkhart W/M/20 10/03/1926 04/10/1928
    27. Roosevelt Hicks Marion B/M/23 03/27/1926 07/29/1927
    26. Henry Smith Porter B/M/26 12/10/1925 03/26/1926
    25. Peter Jankowski Lake W/M/26 10/13/1925 01/22/1926
    24. Edward Stewart Marion W/M/25 10/08/1925 01/08/1926
    23. John Koval Lake W/M/32 07/02/1925 10/16/1925
    22. Peter Vergolini Lake W/M/29 10/15/1924 01/30/1925
    21. HarryDiamond Porter W/M/25 06/07/1923 11/14/1924
    20. Ben Brooks Bartholomew W/M/33 01/14/1922 12/01/1922
    19. William Donovan Montgomery W/M/35 01/21/1922 06/01/1922
    18. Will Thornton Lake B/M/21 07/30/1920 12/10/1920
    17. William Ray Marion B/M/18 04/27/1920 08/05/1920
    16. Kelly Robinson Marion B/M/28 05/22/1915 02/01/1916
    15. Robert Collier Vanderburgh W/M/34 06/18/1914 10/16/1914
    14. Harry Rasico Vigo W/M/35 09/20/1914 02/20/1914
    13. John Chirka Lake W/M/40 09/22/1913 02/20/1914
    12. George Williams Marion B/M/28 10/25/1906 02/08/1907
    11. Berkley Smith Marion B/M/30 02/04/1905 06/30/1905
    10. Jerry Duggins Vigo W/M/28 03/23/1904 07/08/1904
    9. Benjamin Springs Vigo B/M/34 03/16/1904 07/01/1904
    8. Edward Hoover Marion W/M/26 06/10/1903 11/13/1903
    7. Ora Copenhaver Marion W/M/26 10/28/1902 06/13/1903
    6. William Jackson Vanderburgh B/M/45 02/21/1903 06/12/1903
    5. Matthew Alexander Vigo B/M/28 12/19/1902 04/16/1903
    4. Lewis Russell Gibson B/M/48 05/10/1902 09/26/1902
    3. Willis Wheeler Warrick W/M/45 10/22/1901 06/06/1902
    2. John Rinkard Wabash W/M/63 05/07/1901 01/17/1902
    1. Joseph Keith Gibson  W/M/40 02/09/1901 11/15/1901

    In addition, James Dalhover was executed on December 13, 1938 under federal authority for the murder of a state policeman during a bank robbery. Gregory Resnover was the last convicted murderer executed by electrocution on December 8, 1994.

    MOST ACTIVE COUNTIES

    13 Lake
    12 Marion
    08 Vigo
    05 Vanderburgh
    04 Franklin
    04 Boone
    04 Allen
    03 Porter

    EXECUTIONS BY DECADE

    1900-1909 = 12
    1910-1919 = 04
    1920-1929 = 12
    1930-1939 = 32
    1940-1949 = 07
    1950-1959 = 02
    1960-1969 = 01
    1970-1979 = 00
    1980-1989 = 02
    1990-1999 = 05
    2000-2005 = 12

    Most active year = 8 executions in 1938
    Most active day = 3 executions on June 10, 1937

    AGE

    Average age at sentencing = 30.8 years

    Oldest age at sentencing =
    63 years (Rinkard 1902 & Greathouse 1945)

    Youngest age at sentencing =
    18 years (Ray 1920 & Swain 1939)

    GENDER

    Male = 89 (100%)
    Female =
    No women have been executed in Indiana since at least 1900.

    RACE

    White = 65 (73.0%)
    Black = 24 (27.0%)

    Shortest time between Death Sentence and execution =
    99 days (Olivett Griggs was executed on 06/14/35 after sentencing on 03/07/35)

    Longest time between Death Sentence and execution =
    22 years, 308 days (Marvin Bieghler was executed on 01/27/06. He was originally convicted and sentenced to death on 03/25/83)

    Source: Indiana Department of Corrections


    Indiana State Prison
    Michigan City, Indiana



  • Message from Prosecuting Attorney
  • Clark County Cases
  • Current Indiana Death Row
  • Indiana Death Row 1977 - 2008
  • Indiana Executions Since 1900
  • Indiana Death Row Statistics
  • Indiana Death Penalty Laws
  • The Death Penalty in the U.S.
  • Capital Punishment Timeline
  • U.S. Executions Since 1976
  • Methods of Execution
  • Public Opinion Polls
  • Updates Since April 1, 2008
  • 1000+ Death Penalty Links

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