Indiana man who killed officer set for execution after 20 years on dying row

[ad_1] An Indiana man who was convicted of killing a police officer twenty years in the past is about to be the second individual executed within the state since 2009.

Benjamin Ritchie, 45, is scheduled to die by deadly injection on the Indiana State Jail on Tuesday, Might 20, earlier than dawn, "until there’s last-minute court docket motion," in accordance with the Related Press.

Ritchie has been on dying row for over 20 years for the 2000 deadly capturing of Beech Grove Police Officer Invoice Toney.

Ritchie was 20 when he and others stole a van in Beech Grove, close to Indianapolis, the outlet reported. He shot the 31-year-old police officer and father of two daughters 5 instances throughout a foot chase, killing him. He was additionally on probation on the time for a 1998 burglary conviction .

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<source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/05/343/192/cop-killer-set-to-become-2nd-person-executed-in-indiana-since-2009.png?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/05/686/384/cop-killer-set-to-become-2nd-person-executed-in-indiana-since-2009.png?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="192" width="343"><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/05/672/378/cop-killer-set-to-become-2nd-person-executed-in-indiana-since-2009.png?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/05/1344/756/cop-killer-set-to-become-2nd-person-executed-in-indiana-since-2009.png?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/05/931/523/cop-killer-set-to-become-2nd-person-executed-in-indiana-since-2009.png?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/05/1862/1046/cop-killer-set-to-become-2nd-person-executed-in-indiana-since-2009.png?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"><source media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/05/720/405/cop-killer-set-to-become-2nd-person-executed-in-indiana-since-2009.png?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/05/1440/810/cop-killer-set-to-become-2nd-person-executed-in-indiana-since-2009.png?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="405" width="720"> This undated photograph offered by the Indiana Division of Correction reveals Benjamin Ritchie, who was convicted within the 2000 killing of Beech Grove Police Officer Invoice Toney. (AP/Photograph by Paul Harris/Getty Photographs)

"Officer William Toney misplaced his life 25 years in the past serving the group he lived in," the Beech Grove Police Division shared in a press release with Fox Information Digital.

"Taking a solemn oath to uphold the Structure and legal guidelines of this nice state, in order that its residents might lead a peaceable life. His life was violently taken from him by a person whose actions adversely affected the harmless and ripped on the very cloth that holds society collectively," the assertion continued.

"Whereas there isn't any peace within the execution, there's consolation within the realization that society has saved its promise to the women and men of legislation enforcement to carry these accountable for his or her reckless selections and damaging actions, in order that these nonetheless serving discover energy realizing that their service is just not in useless," - Beech Grove Police Division

The Indiana Regulation Enforcement Memorial web site added that Toney's life was taken in the future earlier than his thirty second birthday.

Final Wednesday, the Indiana Parole Board rejected a clemency plea from Ritchie, who had petitioned the board to commute his dying sentence to life with out parole.

Attorneys for Ritchie had argued he suffered from mind harm on account of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Dysfunction and mistreatment as a toddler, FOX 59 reported . Consequently, on the time of the capturing, he lacked the capability "to course of info shortly or make applicable choices in a fancy state of affairs he was unfamiliar with," in accordance with an skilled who spoke in the course of the clemency listening to.

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Beech Grove Police officer Invoice Toney was killed in 2000, in the future earlier than his thirty second birthday, by a person on probation. (Indiana Regulation Enforcement Memorial web site)

"I’ve ruined my life and different individuals’s lives, and I’m so sorry for that night time," Ritchie informed the parole board, the AP reported. "You possibly can’t take again what you probably did."

Family members of Toney additionally spoke at a clemency listening to final week, urging officers to maneuver ahead with the execution.

"It’s time. We’re all drained," Toney’s widow stated on the clemency listening to, per the AP. "It's time for this chapter of my story, our story, to be closed. It’s time for us to recollect Invoice, to recollect Invoice’s life, and never his dying."

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Indiana Gov. Mike Braun stated he adopted the advice of the board and would enable the execution to proceed.

"After fastidiously reviewing the unanimous advice from the State Parole Board, I've determined to permit the execution of Benjamin Ritchie to proceed as deliberate for Might 20," Braun wrote in a press release.

Ritchie’s attorneys are difficult that call in federal court docket and have additionally filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Courtroom, in accordance with the AP, noting that the jury didn't obtain correct details about Ritchie’s mind harm.

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Ritchie's execution would mark the second inmate to be put to dying in Indiana in 15 years, in accordance with the AP.

Indiana resumed executions in December after a year-long hiatus because of the shortage of deadly injection medication nationwide, the AP reported.

The Related Press contributed to this report.

Stepheny Worth is a author for Fox Information Digital and Fox Enterprise. She covers matters together with lacking individuals, homicides, nationwide crime circumstances, unlawful immigration, and extra. Story suggestions and concepts might be despatched to stepheny.value@fox.com