On the night of December 18, 2024, Tahina Corcoran found herself in a harrowing situation that would forever alter her life. After witnessing the execution of her husband, Joseph Corcoran, at the Indiana State Prison, she hurried back to her car, desperate to escape the scene. “I knew before we headed to the prison for the execution that I would most likely want to get as far away from Michigan City as possible,” she recalled, her emotions raw and palpable. The weight of the night pressed heavily on her as she broke down in the car, her son Justin, who had also witnessed the execution, trying to comfort her. They drove home in silence, grappling with the enormity of what they had just experienced.
In the days that followed, Tahina felt enveloped in shock and numbness. Fortunately, she had completed her holiday preparations in advance, allowing her to focus on the painful task of retrieving her husband’s ashes just before New Year’s. “And as I was carrying his box of ashes, I just remember thinking to myself, ‘Wow, this is our first actual car ride together,’” she reflected, a bittersweet acknowledgment of their shared journey now turned tragic.
Tahina’s relationship with Joseph spanned decades, beginning in middle school. Over the 26 years he spent on death row, she married him twice—first five years after his sentencing and again just two months before his execution. Her two grown children were raised with an understanding of their father’s circumstances. “They knew that Joe was sick and that he was in prison,” she explained. “And they just knew that their mommy was very happy with Joe, and Joe was always a part of our family.”
Joseph Corcoran’s path to death row began when he was just 22, after he shot his brother and three other men in Fort Wayne. His defense team argued that his actions stemmed from undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia, a claim that Tahina witnessed firsthand. “He was very mentally ill,” she stated, recalling how Joseph believed that prison guards were using an ultrasound machine to manipulate him. His mental health deteriorated over the years, leading him to express a desire to drop his appeals and volunteer for execution. “Joe believed that the only way that he could escape this torment and torture was by dying,” she said.
Corcoran became Indiana’s first execution in 15 years, a grim milestone for a state that had seen its execution chamber idle due to drug shortages. In June 2024, then-Governor Eric Holcomb announced the acquisition of pentobarbital, a drug to be used for lethal injections. This announcement set the stage for Corcoran’s execution, which was followed by another scheduled execution for Benjamin Ritchie in May 2025.
The use of pentobarbital has been controversial, with reports of disturbing reactions during executions. Some individuals executed with this drug exhibited signs of suffering, including pulmonary edema, which experts describe as akin to drowning. “Joe knew that he was kind of a guinea pig,” Tahina said, revealing that he had requested an autopsy post-execution due to concerns about the drug’s effects. Despite these fears, Corcoran’s execution appeared to proceed as planned, with witnesses reporting minimal movement before he was declared dead.
However, the execution of Benjamin Ritchie five months later raised alarms. Witnesses reported that Ritchie had violently moved on the gurney, leading to widespread concern about the efficacy of the drug protocol. Tahina, watching the vigil for Ritchie, began to question her own observations from Joseph’s execution. “How was I supposed to know that wasn’t normal?” she lamented, grappling with the implications of what she had witnessed.
The aftermath of these executions has left Tahina with more questions than answers. She expressed frustration over the lack of transparency surrounding the state’s execution protocols and the apparent indifference of the public to the lives taken in their name. “All of those people—the governor, everybody—have moved on. No big deal. But it’s a big deal to me. And it’s a big deal to my family,” she said, emphasizing the emotional toll of her husband’s death.
As Indiana prepares for another execution, the state’s approach to capital punishment remains shrouded in secrecy. Unlike other states, Indiana prohibits media witnesses from attending executions, opting instead for a parking lot across the street and minimal communication. This lack of oversight raises critical questions about the ethical implications of the death penalty and the methods employed.
In the broader context, the resurgence of capital punishment in Indiana reflects a national trend, with multiple states scheduling executions in rapid succession. The perception of lethal injection as a humane method of execution is increasingly challenged by reports of botched procedures and the psychological impact on witnesses, particularly families of the condemned.
Tahina’s story is not just about loss; it is a poignant reminder of the human lives intertwined with
