Lawyers rush to halt Indiana execution over state’s lethal drug supplier

Key Points:

• Indiana was set to carry out its first execution of the year on Thursday before sunrise, involving Jeffrey Weisheit, convicted of murdering two children in 2010, but his lawyers and supporters called for a halt amid concerns over the state's lethal injection drug procurement process.
• Weisheit’s attorneys urged Governor Mike Braun to order an independent review after allegations surfaced that Indiana obtained pentobarbital from Pharmaneek, a pharmacy on probation facing license suspension due to regulatory violations and unsanitary conditions.
• An invoice showed the state paid $275,000 for lethal injection drugs, significantly higher than typical prices, with redacted supplier information linked to Pharmaneek, which is currently barred from compounding drugs and under investigation by the Indiana Board of Pharmacy.
• Major pharmaceutical companies producing pentobarbital have policies prohibiting their drugs’ use in executions, and neither manufacturer confirmed any relationship with Pharmaneek, raising questions about the legality and safety of Indiana’s drug supply.
• Weisheit’s clemency was denied despite mixed family responses: the mother of the victims opposed clemency, while the father supported it, emphasizing forgiveness and mercy; the execution coincides with two others scheduled in Alabama and Florida.