Depraved child killer dies of lethal injection sixteen years after murdering girlfriend's children in house fire

A child killer has been put to death by the United States more than 15 years after murdering his girlfriend's two children in an arson attack.

Inmate Jeffrey Weisheit died by lethal injection inside the Indiana State Prison in the early hours of Thursday (5 November).

He had been serving time behind bars on the death penalty after he murdered 8-year-old Alyssa Lynch and 5-year-old Caleb Lynch in an arson attack in Vanderburgh County.

According to the Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC), Weisheit had no final words as he was put to death.

The state confirmed his last meal request was barbecue ribs, and that he was pronounced dead 45 minutes later.

Weisheit, 50, was put to death (Indiana Department of Correction)

The 50-year-old had been caged after he set fire to his girlfriend Lisa's house, leading to the deaths of her two children, Alyssa and Caleb Lynch.

They both died from smoke and soot inhalation, and were found gagged and tied up inside the house, a court previously heard. The children’s mum, Lisa Lynch, was at work at the time of the incident.

Weisheit, who fled Indiana after the crime, was arrested in Kentucky and charged with double murder in 2013 where he has remained on death row ever since.

An appeal to spare his life ended up before the Indiana Supreme Court on Wednesday (4 November) when it was voted to allow the execution to proceed.

It was to permit the temporary pausing of the execution for 10 days after questions were raised over the lethal drugs. His lawyers claimed he suffered from head injuries and mental health issues.

Weisheit's death was the fourth execution in Indiana over the last two years but the first since the failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee.

After the execution, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said the state was delivering “long-awaited justice” for victims Alyssa and Caleb.