Benjamin Ritchie execution: Indiana man convicted in killing Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney to receive a lethal injection
Share this @internewscast.com

An Indiana man who was found guilty of killing a police officer in 2000 is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection early Tuesday. This marks the state’s second execution in the last 15 years.

Benjamin Ritchie, now 45 years old, has spent more than two decades on death row after being convicted for the shooting death of Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney during a foot pursuit.

If no last-minute legal interventions occur, Ritchie’s execution is planned to take place “before the hour of sunrise” at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, as confirmed by state officials.

Indiana resumed executions in December after a yearslong hiatus due to scarcity of lethal injection drugs nationwide. Prison officials provided photos of the execution chamber in advance of Joseph Corcoran’s execution, showing a space that looks like a sparse operating room with a gurney, fluorescent lighting, a floor drain and an adjacent viewing room. They have offered few other details about the process, including the time the executions take place.

Among 27 states with death penalty laws, Indiana is one of two that bars media witnesses. The other, Wyoming, has conducted one execution in the last half-century. The Associated Press and other media organizations have filed a federal lawsuit in Indiana seeking media access.

The execution Tuesday in Indiana is among 12 scheduled in eight states this year. Ritchie’s execution and two others in Texas and Tennessee will be carried out this week.

This undated photo provided by the Indiana Department of Correction shows Benjamin Ritchie, who was convicted in the 2000 killing of Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney.

This undated photo provided by the Indiana Department of Correction shows Benjamin Ritchie, who was convicted in the 2000 killing of Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney.

Indiana Department of Correction via AP, File

The 2000 fatal shooting of a police officer

Ritchie was 20 when he and others stole a van in Beech Grove, near Indianapolis. He then fired four shots at Toney during a foot chase, killing him.

At the time Ritchie was on probation from a 1998 burglary conviction.

Toney, 31, had worked at the Beech Grove Police Department for two years. He was the first officer of the police department of roughly 30 officers to be killed by gunfire in the line of duty. The community of 14,000 people mourned the married father of two as a neighborly person who showed up to help others.

When Toney died, “Everyone of us involved, including Bill, had something stolen from them that they’ll never get back,” said Deputy Police Chief Tom Hurrle, who worked with him.

Relatives spoke at a clemency hearing last week, urging for the execution to move forward.

“It’s time. We’re all tired,” said Dee Dee Horen, who was Toney’s wife. “It is time for this chapter of my story, our story, to be closed. It’s time for us to remember Bill, to remember Bill’s life, and not his death.”

Appealing a death sentence

Ritchie’s attorneys have fought the death penalty sentence, arguing his legal counsel at trial was ineffective because his lawyers failed to fully investigate and present evidence on his fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and childhood lead exposure.

Current defense attorneys say Ritchie suffered “severe brain damage” because his mother abused alcohol and drugs during pregnancy and has struggled with decision-making. He was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2005.

“He’s finally come to have some coping skills. He’s a different man,” said defense attorney Steven Schutte.

Republican Gov. Mike Braun rejected Ritchie’s clemency bid last week as the parole board recommended. Braun didn’t explain his decision, but board members said Ritchie’s case didn’t meet the bar for commuting a sentence and cited a dozen violations during Ritchie’s time in prison, including threatening others with violence.

The Indiana Supreme Court denied a request to stop the execution, but two justices noted the jury didn’t get accurate information about Ritchie’s brain damage.

Ritchie’s attorneys are challenging that decision in federal court and have also filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court.

Disability rights advocates say Ritchie’s brain damage should exclude him from the death penalty.

Ritchie’s “capacity to fully appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct” was “impaired at the time of his crime,” Dr. Megan Carter, who also testified before the parole board, said in a statement.

Expressing regret and awaiting execution

Attorneys say Ritchie has changed during his more than two decades behind bars and shown remorse.

In court as a young man, Ritchie smiled at Horen and laughed as the verdict was read.

He told a parole board he deeply regrets his actions, especially how he acted with Toney’s widow.

“I wish I could go back to the day in court, because that man’s wife deserved to say everything she needed to say to me, and that punk kid should have just kept his mouth shut and let her say whatever she needed to say,” Ritchie said. “That was her right. That was his family’s right.”

Ritchie has spent his last days getting visits from friends and family. Under state law, he’s allowed up to five witnesses at his execution, which will include attorneys and friends.

“I’ve ruined my life and other people’s lives, and I’m so sorry for that night,” he told the parole board earlier this month. “You can’t take back what you did.”

___

Tareen reported from Chicago. Associated Press writer John O’Connor contributed from Springfield, Illinois.

Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
'Trade Over Aid': Rubio Announces Plan to Deep Six USAID, 'Make Foreign Aid Great Again'

“Rubio Proposes Ending USAID in Favor of ‘Trade Not Aid’ Approach”

Since President Donald Trump assumed office in January, the United States Agency…
My husband is bad at sex — how do I break the news?

How to Communicate Constructively with Your Partner About Improving Your Intimate Life

DEAR ABBY: After facing years of setbacks, I’ve finally met the ideal…
Big plans, hopes cut short for 4 slain Idaho students in 2022

Promising Futures Tragically Ended for Four Idaho Students in 2022 Murder

The tragic deaths of four University of Idaho students in 2022 shocked…
Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un shaking hands.

North Korea Proposes Sending 30,000 Additional Troops to Support Putin’s War After Kim Jong-un Mourns Fallen Soldiers

NORTH Korea is reportedly planning to send 30,000 more troops to fight alongside…
DHS slams 'bizarre tale' about activist allegedly kidnapped by bounty hunters

DHS Criticizes ‘Unbelievable Story’ of Activist’s Alleged Bounty Hunter Kidnapping

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responding to “lazy” news reports…
'Project Runway' Season 20 returns July 31 with Heidi Klum, Law Roach & 12 designers competing

‘Project Runway’ Season 20: Heidi Klum, Law Roach, and 12 Designers Set to Compete on July 31

The fashion competition returns with Heidi Klum, Law Roach, and more of…
United Airlines flight diverted while going to Chicago O'Hare Airport, plane evacuated at St. Louis Lambert International Airport

United Airlines Flight Rerouted to St. Louis Lambert, Evacuated Before Reaching Chicago O’Hare

CHICAGO (WLS) — On Tuesday morning, passengers faced a frightening experience when…
Juliana Marins smiling in front of a hillside.

‘I’m Not Scared’: Heartbreaking Last Message from 26-Year-Old Backpacker Who Fell into Volcano Crater During Hike

TRAGIC backpacker Juliana Marins told her family “I’m not afraid” in a…
Plane crash at an airport with emergency personnel and onlookers.

Haunting Audio Captures Russians Shooting Down Plane on Christmas, Killing 38, Aware It Wasn’t a Ukrainian Drone

A CHILLING audio clip has emerged revealing the moment Russians shot down…
Graphic video footage of a Ukrainian prisoner of war being dragged along a road.

Disturbing Footage Reveals Putin’s Forces Dragging Bound Ukrainian Prisoner to Death Behind Motorbike

SICKENING footage of a Ukrainian prisoner being dragged across a road to…
Bryan Kohberger allegedly searched pictures of female students, some were close to alleged victims

Timeline of Idaho Murders: Bryan Kohberger’s Plea Marks the End of a Lengthy Justice Pursuit

BOISE, Idaho – The longstanding University of Idaho homicide case has taken…
Murkowski secures Alaska gains in tax bill as pivotal swing vote

Murkowski Clinches Key Tax Breaks for Alaska as Crucial Swing Voter

The 887-page bill that narrowly passed through the Senate — and is…