The Indiana Attorney General’s Office has formally asked the Indiana Supreme Court to set an execution date for death row inmate Roy Lee Ward, a move that could make him the third prisoner executed in the state since Indiana resumed executions after a lengthy hiatus. Ward was convicted in the rape and murder of 15-year-old Stacy Payne, a crime that shocked the small community of Dale, Indiana, in July 2001.
The investigation began shortly after noon on July 11, 2001, when Payne answered the door of her family home. Moments later, her younger sister heard screams coming from inside the residence and immediately called 911. Emergency responders and law enforcement officers arrived within minutes and encountered a scene that investigators would later describe as one of the most brutal homicide cases in the region.
According to court records, officers found Roy Lee Ward standing in the doorway of the home holding a knife. He was taken into custody at the scene. Inside the residence, investigators found Stacy Payne suffering from catastrophic injuries. Despite emergency medical efforts, she later died from multiple wounds. Crime-scene investigators spent hours collecting physical evidence, documenting the scene, and interviewing witnesses as they worked to reconstruct the attack.
As detectives built their case, prosecutors alleged that Ward had sexually assaulted Payne before killing her. Forensic evidence, witness statements, and observations made by responding officers became central components of the prosecution. Payne, remembered by family and friends as an honor-roll student, cheerleader, and part-time employee at a local pizza restaurant, quickly became the focus of a community seeking answers and justice.
Ward was initially convicted and sentenced to death in 2002. However, the Indiana Supreme Court later overturned that conviction because of concerns regarding prejudicial pretrial publicity. The case was returned to the trial court, where Ward ultimately pleaded guilty. In 2007, a second jury again imposed a death sentence after hearing evidence related to the crime and aggravating circumstances presented by prosecutors.
The Indiana Supreme Court previously scheduled Ward’s execution for December 2012, but that date was automatically stayed while federal appeals remained pending. Over the following years, defense attorneys pursued numerous legal challenges in both state and federal courts. Those appeals have now been exhausted, leading state prosecutors to seek a new execution date.
The request comes at a time when Indiana’s use of capital punishment is receiving renewed public attention. Following the executions of Joseph Corcoran in 2024 and Benjamin Ritchie in 2025, Ward could become the next inmate executed if the Indiana Supreme Court grants the state’s motion. For investigators, prosecutors, and the Payne family, the case represents the culmination of a homicide investigation that began with a frantic 911 call and has remained active in the legal system for more than two decades.
