Boise, Idaho – The scheduled execution of Thomas Eugene Creech, one of the longest-serving death row inmates in Idaho, was unexpectedly halted after prison officials encountered difficulties with the administration of his lethal injection.
Creech, who has been convicted of five murders and is suspected of several more, was set to be executed at a maximum-security prison in Idaho. However, the execution was called off after officials were unable to successfully place a catheter into a vein for the lethal injection.
Witnesses permitted to observe the attempted execution described the medical team’s numerous failed attempts to insert an IV into Creech’s arms, hands, ankles, and feet. Despite their efforts, the procedure was ultimately abandoned.
Following the decision to halt the execution, Creech’s attorneys filed a motion for a stay in U.S. District Court, citing concerns over the botched execution attempt and questioning the prison’s ability to carry out a humane and constitutional execution.
The Idaho Department of Corrections later confirmed that Director Tewalt, after consultation with the medical team leader, determined that the execution could not proceed due to the inability to establish an IV line. Creech was returned to his cell, and the death warrant expired as a result.
Hours before the scheduled execution, Creech’s final chance for a last-minute reprieve was denied by the Supreme Court. Despite claims for a delay to allow a court to review his case, appeals against the execution had been dismissed by multiple courts.
Supporters of Creech argued for leniency, highlighting his changed demeanor and requesting a commutation of his sentence to life in prison. Prosecuting attorneys, however, maintained that Creech showed no remorse or empathy for his crimes and described him as a “psychopath.”
Prior to the halted execution, officials detailed the planned procedure, which included offering Creech a sedative before strapping him to a table for the lethal injection. Creech’s sentence stemmed from multiple murder convictions spanning several decades, including high-profile cases in Idaho, Oregon, and California.
Creech’s execution would have been the second in the U.S. for the year, following a recent controversial execution in Alabama utilizing nitrogen gas. The development surrounding Creech’s halted execution has raised questions about the implementation of the death penalty and the execution procedures in place.