Victims’ Father Calls for Clemency for Jeffrey Weisheit

Steven Lynch, whose children, Alyssa and Caleb Lynch, were killed in a house fire set by Jeffrey Weisheit, is asking Indiana Governor Mike Braun to stop his execution by granting Mr. Weisheit clemency. In an affidavit submitted to the Indiana Supreme Court, Mr. Lynch wrote, “I request that Jeffrey Weisheit receive life in prison without eligibility for parole. With the remaining years of his life, he would be able to continue seeking the Lord’s forgiveness and redemption for his actions.”

Mr. Weisheit was sentenced to death in 2013 for the 2010 arson killings. His clemency hearing before the Indiana Parole Board began on Friday, October 16, ahead of a scheduled execution date of November 5. The parole board will make a non-binding recommendation to Gov. Braun, who has final say in whether to reduce Mr. Weisheit’s sentence to life without parole.

In the affidavit, Mr. Lynch asks, “What good does it do the memory of my children to put this man to death?” He focuses on the harm that the execution would cause to Mr. Weisheit’s family, writing “Hurting Mr. Weisheit’s family by executing him is not the outcome my children would want. …I seek to save his family the great pain and loss from the taking of his life. I want to prevent another parent from experiencing the loss I have experienced.” He concludes by addressing Mr. Weisheit directly, writing, “Jeffrey, I forgive you.”

“From the depths of unfathomable grief, Alyssa and Caleb Lynch’s father has summoned mercy,” Joseph Perkovich, one of Mr. Weisheit’s attorneys, said in a statement. “But it must be underscored that he simply speaks for himself, and in no way purports to speak for all the children’s family bereaved in this unspeakable tragedy. Understanding that others desire privacy, that privacy is categorically respected.”

Mr. Weisheit’s attorneys have asked courts to allow for medical testing that would allow them to present evidence about Mr. Weisheit’s brain injuries and mental illness as part of his clemency proceedings. A federal judge authorized funding for the tests, but said she lacked authority to order prison officials to transport Mr. Weisheit to a local hospital where the testing could take place.