US man who killed 2 children in house fire among 3 set to be executed on same day

Indiana man who admitted killing two children in a house fire was set to be executed.

Three US states were set to carry out executions on Thursday, with Indiana preparing to execute a man convicted of killing two children in a house fire, while Florida and Alabama also scheduled lethal injections, the Associated Press reported. The three executions would mark the second time this year that three people have been put to death on the same day. The scheduled executions come amid renewed scrutiny of capital punishment following Tennessee's failed execution of Christa Pike last month, when she survived two doses of pentobarbital. Florida was set to carry out its 19th execution of the year, matching the state's record set in 2025 under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Indiana, meanwhile, was preparing for its first execution of 2026.

Indiana man convicted of killing girlfriend's two children

Jeffrey Weisheit, 50, was convicted of setting a fire that killed his girlfriend's children, aged eight and five, at a home near Evansville in 2010. The killings were apparently linked to the deteriorating relationship between the couple. His lawyers had urged Republican Governor Mike Braun to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment. They also sought permission for Weisheit to undergo brain scans to support claims that he had a history of head injuries and mental health problems. Braun rejected both requests. Weisheit also challenged Indiana's planned use of lethal injection drugs purchased from a pharmacy facing a disciplinary hearing before the state Pharmacy Board. However, the Indiana Department of Correction said it was confident in its ability to carry out the execution humanely.

Florida, Alabama also scheduled executions

In Florida, Jesse Guardado, 64, was scheduled to be executed for fatally stabbing a 75-year-old woman inside her Walton County home in 2004 before stealing her jewellery, cash and other valuables. Guardado had confessed to the killing and pleaded guilty. The victim had previously helped him secure employment and housing. Florida has carried out more than half of the 32 executions in the US so far this year. DeSantis has said he wants to deliver justice to families who have waited decades for death sentences to be carried out. In Alabama, Michael Taylor, 54, was scheduled to be executed for killing an elderly couple during a robbery in their Gadsden home 35 years ago. Taylor was 19 at the time of the killings. Death penalty opponents appealed to Republican Governor Kay Ivey to commute his sentence to life imprisonment, citing his age and immaturity when the crime took place. However, she declined. Taylor was initially scheduled to be executed using nitrogen gas, but a judge ruled that method unconstitutional. The state subsequently planned to use lethal injection, despite objections from his lawyers over the last-minute change in execution method.