Indiana Sets Execution Date for Joseph Corcoran

The Indiana Supreme Court has set a December 18, 2024, execution date for Joseph Corcoran, who was convicted of murdering four people in Fort Wayne in 1997. This will be Indiana's first execution since 2009. Gov. Eric Holcomb and Attorney General Todd Rokita requested the date, stating that Corcoran has exhausted all appeals and that the state now has the necessary drugs for lethal injection. Corcoran's attorneys argue that his severe mental illness, including paranoid schizophrenia, should prevent his execution, citing Eighth Amendment concerns. They urge the court to adopt contemporary standards that bar executing mentally ill individuals, noting that surrounding states do not permit such executions. The court acknowledged that Corcoran has other legal avenues to challenge the execution but proceeded to set the date as required by law.