MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – After more than two decades on death row, 45-year-old Benjamin Ritchie is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection early Tuesday, marking Indiana’s second execution in 15 years.
Ritchie was convicted for the 2000 shooting death of Beech Grove Police Officer Bill Toney, who was killed during a foot chase after a stolen van incident. Toney, a 31-year-old married father of two, was the first officer from the Beech Grove Police Department to die in the line of duty.
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A Crime That Shook a Community
At the time of the crime, Ritchie was just 20 years old and on probation for a 1998 burglary conviction. During the pursuit, he fired four fatal shots at Officer Toney. The tragedy left a deep scar on the 14,000-person community of Beech Grove.
“Everyone of us involved, including Bill, had something stolen from them that they’ll never get back,” said Deputy Police Chief Tom Hurrle.
Final Days and Last Pleas
In the lead-up to his execution, Ritchie expressed deep remorse.
“I’ve ruined my life and other people’s lives, and I’m so sorry for that night,” he told the parole board. “You can’t take back what you did.”
During a clemency hearing, Officer Toney’s widow, Dee Dee Horen, urged the state to carry out the sentence.
“It’s time. We’re all tired,” she said. “It’s time for us to remember Bill’s life, and not his death.”
Despite emotional appeals from Ritchie’s legal team citing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, brain damage, and a bipolar disorder diagnosis, Governor Mike Braun denied clemency, noting repeated prison infractions and dismissing arguments of diminished mental capacity.
Legal Challenges and Execution Details
Indiana’s execution protocols have resumed after years of delay caused by a shortage of lethal injection drugs. Ritchie will be put to death at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City “before the hour of sunrise,” barring any last-minute judicial intervention.
Notably, Indiana is one of just two states (alongside Wyoming) that bar media from witnessing executions, a policy currently being challenged in federal court.
Twelve executions are scheduled across eight states this year. Alongside Ritchie, Texas and Tennessee will also carry out executions this week.
Only five witnesses—mostly attorneys and friends—will be present for Ritchie’s execution.
“That man’s wife deserved to say everything she needed to say to me… That was her right,” Ritchie said, reflecting on the trial. “That was his family’s right.”
