An Indiana inmate who was convicted of killing a police officer two decades ago is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday, May 20.
Benjamin Ritchie, 45, is set to die by lethal injection at Indiana State Prison before sunrise unless he receives a last-minute court reprieve, according to the Associated Press.
He has been on death row for over 20 years for the 2000 fatal shooting of Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney, who was 31 years old.
Ritchie would be the second inmate executed in Indiana in 15 years, according to the Associated Press.
“Officer William Toney lost his life 25 years ago serving the community he lived in,” the Beech Grove Police Department said in a statement on Monday, May 19, according to WTHR. “Taking a solemn oath to uphold the constitution and laws of this great state, so that its citizens can live peacefully.
His life was violently taken from him by someone whose actions harmed the innocent and ripped apart the very fabric that holds society together.
While there is no peace in the execution, there is comfort in knowing that society has kept its promise to law enforcement to hold those accountable for their reckless choices and damaging actions, so that those who continue to serve can find strength in knowing that their service is not in vain.”
On May 14, the Indiana Parole Board denied Ritchie’s clemency petition to commute his sentence to life without parole, according to WISH-TV. On the same day, Governor Mike Braun approved the execution.
“After carefully reviewing the unanimous recommendation from the State Parole Board, I have decided to allow the execution of Benjamin Ritchie to proceed as planned for May 20,” Braun announced in an email.
“It is time. “We’re all tired,” Toney’s widow said during the clemency hearing, according to the Associated Press. “It is time to conclude this chapter of my, and our, story. It’s time to remember Bill’s life, not his death.
According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, Toney was not scheduled to work the evening of Sept. 29, but was assisting a fellow officer who was leaving early for vacation.
Ritchie, who was on probation at the time for a burglary conviction, shot Toney during a foot chase after he stole a van from a Beech Grove gas station, according to the Capital Chronicle.
According to Fox59, Ritchie’s attorneys argued that he suffered brain damage as a result of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
“I’ve ruined my life and other people’s lives, and I’m so sorry for that night,” he told the parole board, according to the AP. “You can’t take back what you did.”
According to the Associated Press, Ritchie’s attorneys have petitioned the United States Supreme Court to halt his execution.