Summary
Jeffrey Weisheit, 50, was sentenced to death in Indiana for the 2010 murders of Alyssa Lynch, 8, and her brother Caleb Lynch, 5, who died in a fire at their home in Evansville.
The Indiana Supreme Court has ordered his execution by lethal injection before sunrise on 5 November 2026 at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. His lawyers have asked for the date to be moved to 19 November, and his request for clemency is before the Indiana Parole Board.
The crime
In April 2010, Weisheit lived in Evansville, Indiana, with his pregnant girlfriend, Lisa Lynch, and her two children, Alyssa, 8, and Caleb, 5. On the night of 9 April 2010, he was looking after the children while their mother was at work.
According to the court record, Weisheit restrained Caleb, set fire to the home and fled the state. Both children died in the fire. Fire investigators concluded the fire had been set deliberately. Weisheit was arrested in Kentucky after a police chase.
The courts noted that there was no direct evidence that he started the fire, but found the evidence against him overwhelming. Before the fire, he had withdrawn his savings, quit his job, and said he believed his girlfriend was being unfaithful.
On 18 June 2013, a jury convicted him of two counts of murder and arson resulting in serious bodily injury, and recommended a death sentence, which the trial court imposed.
Legal history
- 9 April 2010Alyssa and Caleb Lynch die in a house fire in Evansville; Weisheit arrested in Kentucky
- 18 June 2013Convicted of two counts of murder and arson; sentenced to death on the jury's recommendation
- 2015Indiana Supreme Court unanimously upholds the convictions and death sentence
- November 2016Trial court denies his post-conviction petition
- 2018Indiana Supreme Court upholds that decision by a majority; Chief Justice Loretta Rush dissents on the death sentence
- Federal courtsUS District Court denies his habeas petition; the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the denial
- 8 June 2026US Supreme Court declines to hear his case
- 17 June 2026Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita asks for an execution date
- 28 August 2026Indiana Supreme Court unanimously sets execution for before sunrise on 5 November 2026
- 15 September 2026Indiana Parole Board schedules clemency hearings for October
- 12 October 2026His lawyers ask the Indiana Supreme Court to move the execution to 19 November to allow brain scans before clemency
Current status
The execution is scheduled for before sunrise on 5 November 2026 at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. It would be Indiana's fourth execution since the state resumed executions in December 2024.
On 12 October 2026, his lawyers asked the Indiana Supreme Court to move the execution to 19 November so that brain scans can be completed before his clemency hearing. The court has not yet ruled. His lawyers say state and federal courts have refused to consider evidence of severe brain damage and mental illness.
His request for clemency is before the Indiana Parole Board, which makes a recommendation to Governor Mike Braun. The Indiana Department of Correction has released a $275,000 invoice for execution drugs. The Parole Board heard his clemency request on 19 October 2026; its recommendation will go to Governor Mike Braun.
Sources
- Indiana Supreme Court: order setting execution date (PDF)
- Indiana Supreme Court: 2018 post-conviction ruling, court summary
- 7th Circuit Court of Appeals: federal habeas ruling
- Motion to reschedule execution, 12 October 2026 (PDF)
- Indiana Capital Chronicle: high court orders execution for 5 November
- Indiana Capital Chronicle: parole board schedules clemency hearings
- Indiana Capital Chronicle: Indiana plans to proceed after Tennessee attempt
- Indiana Public Media: execution ordered