Indiana Parole Board Urges Governor to Deny Clemency for Weisheit

The Indiana Parole Board unanimously recommended that Gov. Mike Braun deny clemency to Jeffrey Weisheit, whose execution for the 2010 murders of Alyssa and Caleb Lynch is scheduled for Nov. 5. The board cited evidence that Weisheit quit his job and withdrew money before the fire, rejecting claims that he had simply snapped, while acknowledging it could not know whether the killings were the specific harm he had been preparing to commit. Weisheit’s attorneys and supporters sought a life sentence, citing mental illness, head injuries and neurological deficiencies; the board said it considered those concerns but found they did not justify clemency. The children’s mother opposed a commutation, while their father said he would accept a life sentence. The recommendation is nonbinding, and Braun has the final decision.