US Man’s Execution Halted After Medical Team Fails to Find Suitable Vein for Lethal Injection

Boise (Idaho): The scheduled execution of Thomas Creech, Idaho’s longest-serving death row inmate, was called off on Wednesday after the medical team was unable to locate a suitable vein for the lethal injection.

Creech, 73, was convicted of murdering another inmate in 1981 and sentenced to death. He had been in prison since 1974 for multiple murders.

The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) Director, Josh Tewalt, announced the halt around 11 am, citing the inability to establish an intravenous line (IV) after eight attempts on various limbs.

“The medical team encountered access and vein quality issues during the attempts,” Tewalt explained in a statement. “As a result, the execution is unable to proceed.”

This turn of events marks the second time in recent months that a US execution was halted due to difficulties with intravenous access. In 2022, Alabama called off two executions, including the first-ever attempt using nitrogen gas, for the same reason.

Creech, according to the IDOC, was also linked to four additional murders and confessed to killing up to 40 people. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department recently credited him with the 1972 murder of a young man, adding to his lengthy criminal history.

The Supreme Court had rejected last-minute appeals from Creech’s lawyers before the execution attempt.