Decades-Old Murders Conclude with Controversial Execution in Indiana

Joseph Corcoran, who was convicted of killing four people, including his brother, was executed in Indiana, marking the state's first execution in 15 years. Despite mental illness claims, legal appeals were exhausted. The execution faced significant opposition from religious and anti-death penalty groups.

In a stark return to capital punishment, Indiana executed Joseph Corcoran on Wednesday, decades after his conviction for killing four individuals, among them his brother. Corcoran's execution marks Indiana's first in 15 years, spotlighting the contentious issue of capital punishment in the U.S.

Despite pleas from his legal team, which cited severe mental illness, the courts refused to intervene to stop the execution. The process faced staunch opposition from religious leaders and death penalty critics, who argue the punishment is both inhumane and unnecessary.

The execution proceeded amidst a nationwide shortage of lethal injection drugs, with the state using pentobarbital, a sedative whose effectiveness has been questioned by opponents. Corcoran's case revisits issues of mental health in death row inmates, bringing the ethics of the death penalty back into public debate.

(With inputs from agencies.)