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
