Joseph Corcoran, convicted in 1997 quadruple homicide. (Courthouse photo from Allen County and mugshot from public record. Photo illustration by Casey Smith/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – Early Wednesday morning, the Indiana Supreme Court’s order for the execution of Joseph Edward Corcoran was carried out.
Corcoran was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1997 murders of his brother, James Corcoran; his sister’s fiancé, Robert Scott Turner; and two of their friends, Timothy Bricker and Douglass Stillwell.
The Indiana Department of Corrections said the execution process started Wednesday, December 18, shortly after midnight CST. When asked if he had any last words, Corcoran replied: “Not really. Let’s get this over with.” He was pronounced dead at 12:44 a.m.
Speaking about the first time the state executed a criminal since 2009, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Tuesday night said, “Joseph Corcoran’s case has been reviewed repeatedly over the last 25 years – including seven times by the Indiana Supreme Court and three times by the U.S. Supreme Court, the most recent of which was tonight. His sentence has never been overturned and was carried out as ordered by the court.”
