Indiana Parole Board takes into account the grace for the death series -Benjamin Ritchie

Indianapolis – for the first time in over a decade, the Indiana Parole Board is considering grace for an inmate of the death line. Benjamin Ritchie, who was judged to Bill Toney Bill Toney in 2000, is to be executed on May 20.

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The board will send governor Mike Braun a recommendation regarding Ritchie's application for Gnüsen on his conviction for the death penalty. Toney's family and friends are firmly convinced that the execution should continue.

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“Bill Toney gave his family, friends and the community he served. Benjamin Ritchie. He took out of the Toney family 25 years ago, he took from the Beech Grove 25 years ago and took out the community 25 years ago,” said Richard Witmer, former head of the Beech Grove.

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Ritchie's legal team argues that instead he should receive grace and serve a lifelong prison sentence. They cite ritchies not diagnosed fetal alcohol syndrome and claim that it should disqualify him from the death penalty.

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“The problem that Ben had happened in his life was that people didn't know early on. His family didn't know what he suffered from,” said Mark Koselke, a lawyer of Benjamin Ritchie.

“The evidence emphasizes that Mr. Ritchie's disabilities played an important role that night that night, and these are exactly the reasons why courts have decided that the death penalty should not be transferred to people with developmental disorders,” said Sam Adams, Senior Attorney at Indiana Disability Rights.

However, the state and family of Toney claim that Ritchie has not shown any regrets for his actions and believes that it is time to honor the jury's decision.

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“We are here because we believe in a system that honors its protectors and punishes those who decide to destroy our peaceful cities,” said Dee Dee Horen, widow from Officer Toney.

Ritchie is one of seven inmates in the death cell of Indiana and, according to the death penalty Information Center, only two people have been executed in Indiana in the past 18 years.