BOISE, Idaho — Convicted murder Thomas Eugene Creech got a reprieve from the death penalty Wednesday morning due to a faulty circulatory system when the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) medical team couldn't find an appropriate vein for the lethal injection.
Creech's future is now uncertain.
- Creech was scheduled for death at 10 a.m. Wednesday February 28.
- One hour later, his execution was canceled after medical crews were unable to find a viable vein for the lethal injection.
- Crews tried eight times to insert an IV with no success.
- Creech's death warrant will be allowed to expire.
- Two of the three doses of the execution drug were deemed unusable and IDOC will need more if it plans a future execution by lethal injection.
- Governor Little says IDOC officials were cautious and did the right thing in not moving forward with the execution.
RELATED: NO EXECUTION: Thomas Creech execution unable to proceed after trouble placing IV line
(Below is a verbatim of the broadcast story)
A failed execution results in at least a temporary reprieve for convicted killer Thomas Creech. I’m senior reporter Roland Beres for Idaho News 6 and I joined three other journalists to be witnesses to the execution. We went into the maximum security prison to an observation room where what I witnessed was IDOC officials trying again and again to insert an IV ... and failing every time.
A death sentence is supposed to be carried out without undue pain and suffering.
The question is does spending 47 minutes on an execution table while enduring 8 failed IV attempts constitute cruel and unusual punishment?
IDOC says no.
“We train for a number of different scenarios and potential outcomes and my confidence in this team couldn’t be higher,” said IDOC Director Josh Dewalt.
RELATED: Creech's defense responds to failed execution
However, Creech’s defense disagrees - issuing a scathing statement countering that saying, quote, “This is what happens when unknown individuals with unknown training are assigned to carry out an execution.”
Our Roland Beres explains what he saw during the attempted execution: “So, I was seated literally five feet from Creech as he lay on the table on the other side of the glass. He seemed calm and comfortable except when being stuck with the IV but even then hardly reacted. Still, it’s hard to imagine the mental anguish of someone thinking they’re going to die and then have the state say, sorry it’s not working.”
“Mr. Creech at this time is back in his cell in F block. We are planning to allow the death warrant to expire. Because we don’t anticipate a change in status or circumstance that would allow us to continue with the execution today.” said Tewalt.
Tewalt said Creech’s future at this point is unclear.
But if another death warrant is issued, it will likely be some time before another execution can be scheduled.
“Having been there just as a witness, I can’t imagine having to go back." explains Beres, "But just imagine having to face that needle again?”
Speaking of which, two of the three doses of execution drug that were drawn are now useless, and must be thrown out.
The director of IDOC says his department will have to get more chemicals before they can try another execution.
