An execution date has been set for Indiana death row prisoner Roy Ward on October 10, 2025 for the 2001 murder of Stacy Payne. October 10 is World Day Against the Death Penalty.

Ward appears to have exhausted appeals related to his conviction and death sentence. Legal challenges to Indiana's execution procedures and secrecy are expected to continue. Read more about it here and here. Additional information about Roy Ward's case is below.

The Indiana Abolition Coalition is urging letters to Governor Braun. See that action opportunity here, and in additional information to be sent via email after signing this petition.

If this execution goes forward it will be the second carried out under the authority of Governor Mike Braun, who has articulated support for a broader discussion about the efficacy of the death penalty in Indiana.

Join the Virtual Sit In

Call Gov. Braun at 317-232-4567 with the following message:

"Hi. My name is [your name]. I am calling to express my opposition to the State of Indiana's plans to execute Roy Ward on October 10. While the vast majority of states with capital punishment continue on a downward trend of executions, Indiana resumed executions after a decade and a half. And yet, Governor Braun has encouraged the legislature to study the issue. Executions should not continue until such a study is complete. Executions serve no one. They burden taxpayers, prison staff, and all who are in close proximity to Roy. We urge you to call this off."

REGISTER FOR THE VIRTUAL VIGIL BEGINNING AT 11PM CT ON OCTOBER 9.

Background:

Roy Ward is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on October 10, 2025, before sunrise. Ward faces punishment for the tragic events of July 11, 2001, when he raped and murdered Ms. Stacy Payne. Ward has applied for executive clemency, which was denied by the Indiana Parole Board and Governor Mike Braun. Regardless of the Parole Board’s recommendation, the governor has the final say in whether Ward is to be executed, and he can still change his mind.

• Ward accepted responsibility for his actions when he pleaded guilty at his trial. He has continuously expressed remorse and shame for his conduct, but he knows that does not excuse his actions. Ward believes he should be punished. He does, however, request the grace of clemency so that he can live out the rest of his life in prison.
• Ward’s remorse for his actions has often been misunderstood because of several impairments and disabilities that have impacted how he perceives and how he is perceived. Ward has been diagnosed with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and deficits in social communication and interactions.
• Ward was sentenced to death by a jury that never heard about his impairments and disabilities. Instead, they were told he had no remorse, no conscience, and no redeeming value. They were told he was a “psychopath,” a pejorative term that is not a formal scientific diagnosis. Ward has never been able to present his true diagnoses to a court as mitigating evidence.
• In May 2025, Indiana executed Benjamin Ritchie by lethal injection. Witness accounts indicate that the execution was botched, with Ritchie violently writhing after receiving the injection. Indiana’s execution protocol is cloaked in secrecy, with no way to determine the origin or quality of the drugs being used. No one should be executed while questions remain about whether the lethal injection drugs are suitable for execution.

While the vast majority of states with capital punishment continue on a downward trend of executions, Indiana is out of step with national trends.  In late 2024, Indiana performed its 1st execution in 15 years, and continues to schedule more execution dates.

Please sign the petition asking Governor Braun to do everything within his power to stop this execution, including issuing a stay, and seeking a path to clemency in the case.