By C1 Staff
LAPORTE, Ind. — An Indiana State Prison inmate serving 95 years for murder wants to be put to death, but a judge turned down his request on Monday.
Walter Leach, 61, still hopes the governor or another high-ranking state government official will grant his wish to be put on death row after LaPorte Circuit Court Judge Tom Alevizos denied his request for lethal injection, South Bend Tribune reports.
Leach petitioned the court on Aug. 20, claiming that Alevizos had the authority to rule on the request since the Michigan City prison is in LaPorte County. No reason was given why Leach wanted to be put to death.
The request does, however, follow several unsuccessful attempts to have his conviction overturned.
Alevizos ruled that he could not assume jurisdiction over Leach’s request because the offender had not exhausted all of his options with the Indiana Department of Corrections for pursuing his desire to die.
Even if those options were exhausted, Alevizos continued, no law exists giving the court permission to grant such a request.
Leach was convicted in July 1995 of the shooting death of Howard VanZant, and given the maximum 65 years, plus another 30 years for being a habitual offender.