Indiana Parole Board Hears Clemency Plea for Roy Lee Ward
INDIANAPOLIS — Attorneys for Roy Lee Ward urged the Indiana Parole Board on Monday to grant clemency, citing his recent autism diagnosis and expressions of remorse. Ward, convicted of raping and murdering 15-year-old Stacy Payne in 2001, is scheduled for execution on Oct. 10.
Ward did not attend the hearing, instead submitting a written affidavit asking his lawyers to speak on his behalf to avoid causing further distress to Payne’s family.
His legal team told the five-member board that Ward does not meet the clinical definition of a psychopath and has acknowledged his mental health challenges. “Roy has feelings,” one attorney said. “He’s recognized his disabilities and sought help.”
The hearing included testimony from law enforcement, first responders, and Payne’s family. Deputy Attorney General Tyler Banks urged the board to deny clemency, citing the brutality of the crime and the two separate jury decisions that imposed the death penalty.
Julie Wininger, Stacy’s mother, spoke last, describing the enduring pain of losing her daughter. “Grief doesn’t just break our hearts,” she said. “It reshapes who we are.”
Ward pleaded guilty in 2022 and remains the only person on Indiana’s death row with two death sentences from separate juries. The parole board will issue a recommendation to Gov. Mike Braun, who holds sole authority to grant clemency.
Ward’s attorneys have also asked the Indiana Supreme Court to stay the execution, raising concerns about the state’s lethal injection protocol following the May execution of Benjamin Ritchie.
