MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (WSBT) – Indiana’s first state execution in 15 years took place early Wednesday morning.

Joseph Corcoran was pronounced dead at 12:44 a.m

Corcoran was executed by lethal injection for the 1997 murders of his brother and three other men in Fort Wayne.

According to the Department of Corrections, Corcoran’s last words were: “Let’s get this over with.”

Corcoran has been in prison since 1997, when he was convicted of murdering his brother, his sister’s fiancé and two other men in Fort Wayne.

Corcoran’s lawyers have appealed his sentence multiple times, even going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected the appeal.

Joseph’s wife Tahina visited him on Tuesday.

She was an advocate for Joseph, saying he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and felt he should not be executed because of it.

“I have spent more time with Joseph than with his fellow inmates on death row, with doctors, lawyers, jurors, judges and public defenders. I know my husband well and know that he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia,” said Tahina Corcoran.

While appealing, Corcoran wrote an affidavit in 2005 admitting his guilt in the murders and writing that he “should be executed.”

Tahina says his execution was discussed during her visit on Tuesday and he doesn’t understand what is going on.

“We talked about our memories. We talked about what was going to happen and we talked about how we both believe in Jesus and believe that one day we will see each other again,” Corcoran said.

Several groups, including the Diocese of Gary and Death Penalty Action, appeared at the state prison Tuesday night praying for the abolition of the death penalty and saying that even after committing violent crimes, everyone has a right to life.

“We can build a society without giving government authorities the right to execute their own citizens. This is the ultimate exercise of state authority and we should promote life, not kill,” said Bishop Robert McClory of the Diocese of Gary.

Unless the courts or Governor Holcomb take action, Joseph Corcoran will be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday morning.

According to the Indiana Department of Corrections, his desired last meal was Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.