US: Idaho execution delayed after failed lethal injection attempts
The execution of 73-year-old serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech was halted in Idaho, United States (US) after medics failed to give him a lethal injection. Corrections Director Josh Tewalt revealed that the team tried eight times to find a suitable vein where they could establish an intravenous line (IV) to carry out the injection. Despite searching Creech's arms and legs, they either couldn't access the vein or had concerns about its quality, prompting the warden to call off the execution.
Convicted of five murders across US
Creech was lodged at Idaho Maximum Security Institution. At 10 am, he was brought to the execution chamber on a gurney and the entire procedure was halted at 10:58. Creech, who was convicted of five murders across three states and suspected of more, was already serving a life sentence when he killed fellow inmate David Dale Jensen in 1981. This led to a judge awarding him a death sentence.
Legal repercussions of failed execution
Following the failed attempt, Creech's lawyers filed a new motion for a stay in the US District Court. They argued that the "badly botched execution attempt" showed the Idaho Department of Corrections' "inability to carry out a humane and constitutional execution." The Federal Defender Services of Idaho added, "This is what happens when unknown individuals with unknown training are assigned to carry out an execution." As per the Guardian, all members of the medical team were volunteers.
Creech described as a changed man by supporters
Creech has spent most of his life in Idaho prisons for crimes committed in various western states. Some supporters argue for his sentence to be changed to life without parole, pointing to his transformation into "a man who writes poetry and shows gratitude to prison staff." However, Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Jill Longhorst described Creech as a psychopath with no remorse or empathy.
Creech returned to his cell, further action awaited
In the aftermath, a news release from Idaho prison authorities stated, "Creech will be returned to his cell and witnesses will be escorted out of the facility. As a result, the death warrant will expire." It added that the next steps will be decided by state authorities. Executions are rare in Idaho, where the state has only carried out three executions since 1976, as per the Death Penalty Information Center.
Alabama carries out US's first execution using nitrogen gas
This comes just a month after authorities in Alabama carried out the first-ever execution using nitrogen hypoxia, after several attempts to execute a prisoner had failed. On January 25, 58-year-old Smith— who was convicted of murder in 1996 — breathed pure nitrogen gas through a face mask, leading to oxygen deprivation, and eventually death. In 2022, Smith suffered a failed execution attempt as the execution authorities called off the attempt due to IV complications.
