Alan Matheney

Who was Alan Matheney?

Alan Lehman Matheney was an American convicted of beating to death his ex-wife, Lisa Bianco, with a .410 bore shotgun, while on an eight-hour release from prison on 4 March 1989. At the time he was serving a sentence at Pendleton Correctional Facility for battery and confinement of Bianco. He was convicted of burglary and murder. He was executed by lethal injection on 28 September 2005 at Indiana State Prison at Michigan City. Time of death was announced as 12:27 AM.

The eight-hour release pass authorized Matheney to travel to Indianapolis; instead he travelled to St. Joseph County. He changed clothes and took a shotgun from a friend's house. He then travelled to Mishawaka and parked his car two houses down from Bianco's home. He broke into her house through the back door and then chased her down the street. He caught and beat her with the shotgun while his two daughters and numerous neighbors looked on. Even so, this case was held up on appeals for 16 years. The case caused a law change in the state, which required victims to be notified if an inmate was released. The State also agreed to pay the estate of Bianco $900,000 in compensation.

At his trial he argued that he was legally insane. One mental health professional diagnosed him as having schizophreniform disorder and another said he had paranoid personality disorder with psychotic delusions. None said he was legally insane at the time of the crime. Matheney stated that he believed Bianco was in a conspiracy against him.