The state of Idaho faced a major setback in its attempt to execute serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech, one of the longest-serving death row inmates in the U.S. Creech, 73, who has been convicted of five murders in three states and suspected of several more, was scheduled to be executed for the beating death of fellow inmate David Dale Jensen in 1981. However, the execution was halted after a medical team failed to establish an IV line to administer the lethal injection.

The team of three medical members tried multiple times to establish an IV, attempting sites in both of Creech's arms and legs. The failed attempt led to the expiration of Creech's death warrant, leaving the Idaho Department of Corrections to consider their next steps. This botched execution was Idaho's first in 12 years, with six state officials and four news media representatives present to witness the failed attempt.

Creech's attorneys had filed numerous appeals in hopes of preventing his execution or having his sentence converted to life without release. They argued that his clemency hearing was unfair, that it was unconstitutional to kill him because he was sentenced by a judge rather than a jury, and that he received ineffective assistance of counsel. Despite their efforts, judges in four courts found no grounds for leniency.

Creech, who has spent the majority of his life behind bars in Idaho, was described as a well-behaved and polite inmate who had established relationships with prison staff. However, prosecutors and authorities painted a different picture, labeling him as a psychopath capable of being likable but lacking remorse and empathy for others.

While Creech's attorneys had pleaded for clemency, the Supreme Court denied their requests for a stay of execution, leading to the failed attempt to carry out the death sentence. Despite the botched execution, the state of Idaho has yet to announce its next steps in this high-profile case.