US Court Rejects a Delay in Execution of Long-Time Death Row Inmate – Sky Bulletin

In recent developments from Boise, Idaho, as reported by the Associated Press, a panel of U.S. appeals court judges has opted not to postpone the execution of one of the country’s most enduring death row inmates, Thomas Creech. Set to take place next week, Creech’s execution has been a topic of heated discussion.

Convicted for the murder of fellow inmate David Jensen in 1983, using a sock filled with batteries, the 73-year-old Creech has a history laden with violence. With four prior murder convictions and serving a life sentence when he committed the crime against Jensen, Creech’s presence in the criminal justice system spans decades and includes suspicions of numerous other killings.

Amidst this backdrop, Creech’s legal team approached the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco seeking a delay in his upcoming lethal injection. They argued that evolving social mores necessitated a reevaluation of his death sentence, which was imposed by a judge, a rarity in current death row sentences. Despite their appeals, evidence provided did not convince the judges.

At the core of the appeal was the assertion that societal standards have progressed to a point where a death sentence handed down in absence of a jury’s verdict may be seen as questionable. However, “evolving standards of decency” arguments, historically applied in barring executions of juveniles or the intellectually disabled, did not hold for Creech’s circumstance, The judges observed.

Dissenting voices, namely Judge Jay Bybee, highlighted the lack of tangible evidence to support the claim of a societal shift against judge-only sentences, suggesting the move appeared more as a strategy to buy time rather than a grounded legal argument.

Against this backdrop, the Idaho attorney general’s office maintained a firm stance, attributing the defense’s delay in raising this issue to strategic timing coinciding with Creech’s scheduled execution date.

Beyond this appeal, Creech’s attorneys have launched a series of legal challenges, including questioning the integrity of his clemency hearing, the opacity around the lethal drug’s origin, and reaching out to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Creech’s criminal narrative is extensive and grim, with connections to multiple murders across the United States over several decades. Despite outlandish claims and lack of evidence for some, authorities have linked Creech to nine documented killings.

With details of killings and convictions that read like a crime novel, including cross-state crimes and convictions, Creech’s storied past is set to culminate in Idaho, where he once again faces the death penalty after a previous sentence was commuted.