Joseph Corcoran Seeks Stay of Execution

Attorneys for Joseph Corcoran, a convicted quadruple murderer, have filed a motion with the Indiana Supreme Court to stay his execution scheduled for December 18, citing severe mental illness, specifically paranoid schizophrenia, as a reason that executing him would be unconstitutional. Corcoran's defense argues that his mental condition detaches him from reality, making him unable to make rational decisions or assist in his defense. They reference a self-published book by Corcoran, which they claim illustrates his delusions, including beliefs that prison guards are torturing him with ultrasound machines. The defense contends that executing someone with such serious mental illness violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. This case is significant as it marks the first execution in Indiana since 2009, amidst ongoing legal and ethical debates regarding the death penalty and mental illness. The Indiana Attorney General previously sought to set an execution date after years of inactivity in Corcoran's case, intensifying the legal wrangling around his sentence.