Indiana
Indiana Preps for an Execution After 15-Year Pause
Indiana officials are preparing to execute the state’s first death row inmate in 15 years, a man who was convicted a quarter-century ago of killing his brother and three other men, the AP reports. Joseph Corcoran, 49, has been on Indiana’s death row since 1999. If he is put to death as scheduled Wednesday, it will be the state’s first execution since 2009. In that time, 13 executions were carried out in Indiana, but those were initiated and performed by federal officials in 2020 and 2021 at a federal prison. Corcoran is scheduled to be executed before sunrise Wednesday at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, about 45 miles east of Chicago.
Indiana’s resumption of executions is refocusing attention on Corcoran’s case and questions about how the state has been able to obtain a drug for lethal injections. Indiana last executed Matthew Wrinkles, who was put to death in 2009 for killing his wife, her brother, and sister-in-law in 1994. State officials said they couldn’t continue executions because a combination of drugs used in lethal injections had become unavailable. There has been a yearslong nationwide shortage because pharmaceutical companies—particularly in Europe, where opposition to capital punishment is strongest—have refused to sell their products for that purpose.
That has prompted states to turn to compounding pharmacies, which manufacture drugs specifically for a client. Some states have switched to more accessible drugs such as the sedatives pentobarbital or midazolam, both of which, critics say, can cause excruciating pain. Indiana is following that lead, planning to use pentobarbital to execute Corcoran. The federal government also used pentobarbital in the 13 federal executions carried out during the final six months of then-President Trump’s first term. Many states, including Indiana, refuse to divulge where they get the drugs. When asked how the state obtained the pentobarbital it plans to use in Corcoran’s execution, the Indiana Department of Correction directed the AP to a state law labeling the source of lethal injection drugs as confidential.
(More Indiana stories.)
Indiana
These are the Indiana residents charged in Jan. 6 riot who could be pardoned by Trump
Indiana Senator Mike Braun on the riots at the United States Capitol
Indiana Senator Mike Braun answers questions on the riots at the United States Capitol.
Grace Hollars, Indianapolis Star
INDIANAPOLIS — President-elect Donald Trump has promised to pardon rioters accused in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol on his first day in office.
If he follows through, the move will affect at least 28 Hoosiers.
That’s how many Indiana residents have been charged in the massive investigation into the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which has resulted in more than 1,000 arrests nationwide. Among the Indiana arrestees, 21 have been sentenced. Trump’s promise has already resonated with at least one of them, a Bloomington man who’s publicly voiced that he’s banking on Trump pardoning him for his crimes and didn’t show up to serve his time.
“I’m going to look at everything. We’re going to look at individual cases,” Trump pledged in his “Meet the Press” interview.
It remains unclear who Trump may pardon, such as whether potential pardons will be awarded to those charged with violent crimes.
Which Jan. 6 defendants from Indiana could be pardoned?
Nancy Barron
From: Patriot
In May 2024, a federal judge sentenced Barron to three years on probation after a jury found her guilty of her charges in the Jan. 6 attack.
Investigators said Barron turned herself in after telling police she had entered the Capitol that day. She was then handed her numerous nonviolent charges, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
James Link Behymer
From: Hope
In October 2024, Behymer and his alleged accomplice, Donald Moss, pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement officers during the Capitol breach.
According to an arrest complaint, the pair are accused of physically confronting police officers on the Lower West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol building as law enforcement ordered the mob to “move back.”
Behymer is seen on body camera footage grabbing an officer’s baton and pushing other law enforcement officials’ hands away.
Behymer and Moss each pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer.
They are scheduled to be sentenced in February 2025.
Dona Sue Bissey
From: Bloomfield
Bissey was sentenced October 2021 to two weeks of incarceration, 60 hours of community service and a $500 fine after pleading guilty to one of her charges of entering the Capitol during the attack.
Bissey was at the Capitol that day with her friend and fellow Hoosier, Anna Morgan-Lloyd – who became the first Jan. 6 defendant to be sentenced in the country.
Eric Cantrell, Jared Cantrell, Quentin Cantrell
From: Greenwood and Indianapolis
Jared Cantrell and his two cousins are accused of illegally entering the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, after surveillance footage and social media posts showed the men taking selfies in the Rotunda and climbing over the West Terrace.
Through plea deals or jury trials, each has been convicted for entering the building.
On March 27, 2023, Eric Cantrell was sentenced to three months of probation, 40 hours of community service and $1,510 in fines and restitution. A month later, Jared Cantrell was found guilty of his charges and sentenced to six months of incarceration followed by a year on supervised release, 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay $500 in restitution and another $8,060 in fines.
Quentin Cantrell was sentenced to six days of incarceration, a year on probation, $500 in restitution and $6,035 in fines the same month.
Michael Greene
From: Indianapolis
Greene, accused of being an “operations leader” hired by the far-right Oath Keepers group, was ordered to two years’ probation July 2023 after being found guilty of entering a restricted building. He was acquitted of his more serious alleged offenses in what the Associated Press described as a “rare setback” for prosecutors.
Prosecutors accused Greene of conspiring with the Oath Keepers in breaching the U.S. Capitol, a claim Greene denied during his trial. The federal judge overseeing the case went against the recommended one year behind bars, arguing Greene did not enter the Capitol building, nor did he have a major presence in the group’s chats, the report states.
Ian Horvath
From: Plymouth
In May 2023, Horvath was ordered to serve three years of probation after pleading guilty to entering the Capitol during the breach, telling investigators he livestreamed the event.
Still surveillance footage photos show Horvath inside the Capitol for 30 minutes wearing a furry hat with a raccoon tail. He was then seen exiting the building and telling other rioters, “Come on in, all are welcome.”
Horvath entered a plea of guilty to a charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
Dale Huttle
From: Crown Point
Dale Huttle and his nephew, Matthew Huttle, were each sentenced to prison for their involvement during the breach, which included the elder Huttle striking police officers.
Court documents state he was captured on surveillance footage among a crowd on the Lower West Terrace trying to push a bike rack placed by officers as a barrier. He is then seen holding an American flagpole and striking two officers on the steps.
In June 2024, Dale Huttle was ordered to two and a half years behind bars, followed by two years on supervised release after pleading guilty to assaulting, resisting or impeding officers.
Matthew Huttle
From: Hebron
Matthew Huttle was arrested after investigators say he was seen on video inside the Capitol building going into “multiple” offices, the Crypt area and hallways.
He was sentenced November 2023 to six months in prison and a year on supervised release after pleading guilty to entering and remaining in a restricted building, a lower charge than issued to his uncle, Dale Huttle – who he traveled with that day.
Kash Lee Kelly
From: Hammond
Court records state Kelly posted photos of himself on social media climbing a wall at the U.S. Capitol, in one caption stating “the day we let the Traitors who constantly push the divide in OUR country know that we are done playing their games.”
He was sentenced November 2022 to 60 days in prison after entering a plea to one count of violent and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Troy Koen
From: Brownsburg
Koen pleaded guilty in November 2024 to assaulting law enforcement officers after investigators say he was seen yanking away a barricade and using a flagpole to jab toward police during the Capitol breach.
A criminal complaint states surveillance footage shows Koen using the pole donned with Trump 2020 and Confederate flags to jab double doors in the Lower West Terrace tunnel and help break the glass. As rioters pushed into the crowd, Koen continued to jab at the officer line.
He’s scheduled to be sentenced February 2025.
David Scott Kuntz
From: Elizabeth
Kuntz was taken into custody after being identified in video footage in a restricted area of the U.S. Capitol wearing a black tactical vest, according to a criminal complaint.
According to the FBI, Kuntz was seen watching rioters breach the grounds outside an entry on the Upper West Terrace and calling out “(explicit) the police.” He is associated with the Three Percenters, an extremist ideology falling within the larger antigovernment militia movement, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Investigators said that in the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, Kuntz on social media mentioned going to Washington D.C. “fully armed” and making a stand.
He pleaded guilty Dec. 2, 2024 to one count of conspiracy to impede or injure an officer. His sentencing is scheduled for April 1, 2025.
Mark Mazza
From: Shelbyville
Mazza was arrested after police say they retrieved his gun on the Capitol’s grounds following the riot and traced the weapon to him. Investigators say they further found him among the crowd on Jan. 6, 2021, trying to break into the West Front Terrace.
In October 2022, Mazza was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting, resisting and impeding officers with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license.
Mazza reported the gun stolen to Shelbyville police two days after the Capitol breach, claiming it was taken from his car at a Hard Rock casino in Ohio.
Gregory Mijares
From: Crown Point
Capitol surveillance footage showed Mijares was among the first rioters to pursue police in the Lower West Terrace, according to a criminal complaint.
Investigators in the report said Mijares is seen wearing a gas mask and pursuing officers, then pulling open a broken glass door and ushering other rioters in.
He faces a felony civil disorder charge and two misdemeanor counts of entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct in a restricted building in the riot.
Anna Morgan-Lloyd
From: Bloomfield
Morgan-Lloyd made history as the first person to be sentenced in the Jan. 6 attacks.
In June 2021, she was sentenced to three years of probation after entering a plea in which she penned a note to the judge about her remorse for how the day turned violent. Morgan-Lloyd traveled to Washington D.C. to attend Donald Trump’s rally that day with her friend, Dona Sue Bissey.
One day after her apology in court, Morgan-Lloyd appeared on Fox News and downplayed the breach.
“Where I was at, we see nobody damage anything. People were actually very polite,” she said.
Donald Lee Moss
From: Elizabethtown
Moss pleaded guilty to assaulting officers after conceding to investigators that he struck and pushed law enforcement while outside the Capitol, including using a chair to block them from closing a door to the U.S. Senate wing.
He and his alleged accomplice, Beyhmer, are scheduled to be sentenced in February for assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer.
Jeffrey Munger
From: Goshen
Munger, according to a criminal complaint, told investigators he climbed through a broken window to enter the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot.
He told police the crowd behind him was pushing him into a corner and the only way to leave was through the building. Surveillance footage showed him leaving 14 minutes later.
Munger was sentenced to 30 months of probation in October 2022 after pleading guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
Arthur Reyher and Jessica Reyher
From: Brownsburg
The Indiana couple were among the first rioters to enter the tunnel on the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and push against a wall of police officers.
On Nov. 6, 2023, the Reyhers pleaded guilty to a felony offense of civil disorder.
Arthur Reyher was sentenced to eight months in prison. Jessica Reyher was sentenced to 90 days in prison in February 2024. The Reyhers were also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to each pay $2,000 in restitution.
Jonathan Ace Sanders Sr.
From: Vincennes
Sanders was arrested after the FBI received a tip that he bragged during his shift at a bakery about being just 70 feet away where Ashli Babbitt was fatally shot by Capitol police during the attack.
Investigators following up on the lead said Sanders told them he traveled to Washington D.C. that day and entered the Capitol building.
He pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building and was sentenced to three years of probation in November 2021.
Jon Ryan Schaffer
From: Columbus
The heavy metal guitarist was charged after being photographed arguing with police and unleashing a can of bear spray in the building.
Schaffer, a former member of the band Iced Earth, turned himself into the FBI 10 days after the riot. He pleaded guilty to unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol to obstruct Congress’ certification of the U.S. presidential election results in 2021, marking the first Jan. 6 defendant to enter an agreement.
In his plea, Schaffer admitted to being one of the founders of the Oath Keepers, a right-wing militia group that describes itself as a “non-partisan association of current and formerly serving military, police and first responders.” Schaffer is not charged in the Justice Department’s conspiracy case against the organization.
Schaffer was sentenced to three years of probation on Oct. 25, 2024, more than three years after his guilty plea. He was also ordered to pay $1,200 in fines and restitution.
Curtis Logan Tate
From: Jeffersonville
According to police, Tate was seen striking a police officer and charging more law enforcement officials near the U.S. Capitol.
Body camera footage and surveillance videos showed him entering the Lower West Terrace tunnel and using a metal baton to strike an officer. He is then seen waving the baton, destroying property and throwing items at police, according to his criminal complaint.
Tate was sentenced July 2024 to more than five years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting law enforcement.
Israel Tutrow
From: Greenfield
The Greenfield man was arrested after being seen moving in and out of the U.S. Capitol wearing a distinct black beanie with “TRUMP” lettering during the attack, according to court documents.
Tutrow entered a plea to and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
He was sentenced in December 2021 to three years of probation.
Annie Vo
From: Fishers
The Fishers mom and her son were charged in the Jan. 6 riot after police said the pair were seen entering the building the day of the attack.
Annie Vo was arrested March 7, 2024, on four counts pertaining to the riot, including entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
Her son, Antony Vo, was sentenced to prison for his participation in the attack and remains a federal fugitive.
Antony Vo
From: Bloomington
The former Indiana University student was found guilty of entering the U.S. Capitol and disorderly conduct in the Jan. 6 attack, having been seen in photographs posing with his mother inside the building.
A jury found him guilty in September 2023 on his charges of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; violent entry or disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
Vo was sentenced in April 2024 to nine months in prison followed by a year of supervised release, but did not report to the correctional facility and remains a federal fugitive.
On Nov. 20, 2024, Vo told a reporter with WISH that he expects to be pardoned by Trump.
Joshua Wagner
From: Indianapolis
Wagner was charged in the Jan. 6 attack after law enforcement released a photo of him on a wanted poster. He would become the second Hoosier taken into custody for storming the U.S. Capitol.
Police said Wagner and his friend and another defendant, Israel Tutrow, were seen inside the Capitol building that day.
Wagner was sentenced to 30 days incarceration in February 2022 for a misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol Building.
William Lance Wilkerson
From: Bedford
Charging documents show Wilkerson’s Facebook comments, security camera images from the Capitol and cellphone records led to his arrest in the Jan. 6 riot.
Closed-circuit television footage captured six photographs of him inside the building wearing an olive-green jacket.
He was sentenced in November 2023 to two years probation after pleading guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
Contact IndyStar at sarah.nelson@indystar.com
Indiana
The Pelicans lose their 13th in the last 14 games vs. the Pacers in Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS — Pascal Siakam scored 22 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points and 10 assists to lead the Indiana Pacers past the struggling New Orleans Pelicans 119-104 on Sunday.
Andrew Nembhard had 17 points, and Myles Turner finished with 14 points and four blocks as the Pacers won for the third time in four games.
Brandon Boston scored 20 points to lead five Pelicans players in double figures. Dejounte Murray and Herbert Jones each scored 19 points while Murray had seven rebounds and seven assists.
New Orleans had 18 turnovers and was 10 of 33 from 3-point range in its fourth straight loss. The Pelicans have lost 13 of 14 since mid-November.
Indiana swung the game with its second-quarter defense. New Orleans scored only 14 points in those 12 minutes, falling into a 59-42 halftime deficit. The Pacers extended the lead to as many as 23 points in the third quarter and coasted through the fourth.
Haliburton and Obi Toppin each made four 3s, accounting for half of Indiana’s 16 3s.
Pelicans-Pacers takeaways
Pelicans: A rash of injuries has hit New Orleans hard, and Sunday’s contest was yet another illustration. It was overwhelmed as last season’s highest-scoring offense seems to be rounding into form.
Pacers: Nembhard’s return from injury has helped Indiana put together its best stretch of the season. When both Pacers guards playing fast and free, they roll. If they keep it up, their season could soon get back on track.
Key moment
New Orleans scored just two points over the final 4:15 of the first half, and Indiana took full advantage by extending an eight-point lead to 17 at the half.
Key stat
Indiana finished the game with nine blocks, eight in the first half when they pulled away.
Up next
New Orleans returns to action Thursday at Houston. Indiana begins a three-game trip Thursday at Phoenix.
Indiana
Inconsistent Play Driving Poor Start For Indiana Pacers
CHICAGO — The Indiana Pacers took on the Chicago Bulls last Friday, and the Pacers mood as a group was largely positive before the game. Players were focused on their upcoming task at hand after a lengthy morning shootaround session. They took a hard look at their offense, spacing, and movement in an attempt to figure out what they needed to do to recapture their offensive potency. Players were light and jovial about one hour before tipoff.
That night, the Pacers scored 132 points and earned their first win without clutch time all season. They made 18 three-point shots and kept the Bulls away. It was the team’s third-highest scoring game this season, and Indiana earned a much-needed win on the same day that they focused on re-establishing their offensive identity.
Two days later, that same Pacers team was at home hosting the lowly and banged-up Charlotte Hornets. Head coach Rick Carlisle shared before the game that his team went through all of their offensive keys again before the action, just like they did in Chicago. Indiana had a chance to win two-straight games before having four days off to practice, and the group had a similar pregame vibe.
Yet the results were different that night. The Pacers scored just 109 points in a loss against the shorthanded Hornets, dropping the team’s record to 10-15. They weren’t able to keep rolling offensively, and that inconsistency had defined this Pacers campaign.
“We’re struggling in the margins of the game,” Carlisle said after his team lost in Charlotte. “Put two hands on the ball. Avoiding avoidable turnovers. Simple things within our defensive system that we control, we’re not doing a good enough job on those. We’ve got to, probably, communicate a lot better.”
Why have the Indiana Pacers been inconsistent?
Indiana has been all over the place. In a way, they are similar to last year — their best level is extremely high, yet their lowest performances look like one of the worst teams in the league. The Pacers have beaten Boston, Dallas, New York, Miami, and Orlando this season. That’s three of the Eastern Conference’s top-four teams, missing only a Cleveland group that the Pacers haven’t played yet. The Mavericks were in the NBA Finals last season. At their best, the blue and gold can hang with, and beat, contenders.
At their worst, they can’t beat anyone. Charlotte (twice), New Orleans, Philadelphia, Toronto (twice), and Brooklyn have already taken down the Pacers this season. Picking up those games was supposed to be Indiana’s way of improving from last year. Instead, they are inconsistent and have a lower ceiling. They have rarely strung together good play, even within one game.
“We’re human. When bad things happen, people are gonna hold their head down. Energy shifts. When we’re cooking, when we’re up, when we’re making shots. Of course our vibe is gonna be there,” Pacers forward Jarace Walker said the night his team lost to Charlotte in Indy. “We’ve just got to figure out how to keep that even keel, that level head when things do go south. So I feel like that’s where we’re struggling right now, and we’ll figure it out eventually.”
Two days ago, after several days off and multiple practices, the Pacers went to Philly and stomped the 76ers. It was another reminder of the team’s highest level — at their best they look like a postseason threat. The ball moved well, and Indiana’s defense found success all night. Games like that make their low points so confusing. They can have a night where they appear to one of the worst teams in the league right in the middle of stronger outings.
Indiana’s results display this information well, but so do their per-possession numbers. Per pbpstats, the Pacers are 14th in offensive efficiency at about 1.14 points per possession this season. Yet they have finished a game with an offensive rating over 120 eight times (7-1 in those games) and concluded action with an offensive rating under 110 nine times (0-9). 17 of the team’s 26 games fit into either extreme. They’ve been all over the place — last year, Indiana only had 14 games the entire season with a points per 100 possessions figure below 110. They’re on pace for 28 this season. The Pacers reached the 120 mark 45 times in 2023-24, yet they’re only tracking to hit 25 this season.
That’s a lot of numbers that all point to the same thing — the blue and gold have been inconsistent this season, and it’s largely due to their offense. On defense, the team is similarly poor compared to last season. In general, they have been slightly better on the less glamorous end of the floor. But with the rock, the Pacers were a machine last year. They hit a high peak in over half of their games. This year, they’ve fallen flat just as often as they had an easy night when it comes to scoring.
“It’s a good question. I feel like just focusing on the little things, really. Getting guys healthy, obviously not an excuse,” guard T.J. McConnell said of the team’s inconsistencies. He’s been one of the team’s steadiest performers. “But I think just focusing on the small details, especially on a defensive end. We just have to be better.”
The Pacers need to play better, as McConnell said. That’s obvious, reaching their peak more often would lead to more wins. But they may get equal, if not more, value by reducing the frequency of their poor outings. In general, that is what has felt different about the team this year compared to the most recent full campaign — they have far more outings where they look like they have no scoring capability, even against weak opponents.
What does it take to shake that kind of issue? It’s hard to say. If the Pacers knew why they were inconsistent, they would address it and not have these problems in the first place.
Some of it comes down to their many injuries, including a few that are likely season ending. Their pace hasn’t been as breathtaking compared to the rest of the NBA like it was last season. Tyrese Haliburton, the team’s star player, has been up and down — just like the team as a collective.
It’s hard to predict what version of the Pacers will show up, but less frequent peaks and more visible lows has the team at 11-15 with a tough stretch of opponents coming up. Some would argue that inconsistent is synonymous with bad when it comes to the quality of an NBA team, and that may be true in some cases. Indiana will hope they can prove that to be false and get back to the season they hoped to have.
-
Technology1 week ago
Struggling to hear TV dialogue? Try these simple fixes
-
Business1 week ago
OpenAI's controversial Sora is finally launching today. Will it truly disrupt Hollywood?
-
Politics3 days ago
Canadian premier threatens to cut off energy imports to US if Trump imposes tariff on country
-
Technology4 days ago
Inside the launch — and future — of ChatGPT
-
Technology2 days ago
OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change
-
Politics2 days ago
U.S. Supreme Court will decide if oil industry may sue to block California's zero-emissions goal
-
Technology3 days ago
Meta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit
-
Politics4 days ago
Conservative group debuts major ad buy in key senators' states as 'soft appeal' for Hegseth, Gabbard, Patel