Idaho
Idaho paused the execution of a 73-year-old serial killer because it couldn't find his veins for a lethal injection, leaving time for his death warrant to expire
Idaho officials stopped the execution of a 73-year-old convicted serial killer after the medical team couldn’t find his veins for a lethal injection.
Thomas Creech, who was imprisoned in 1974 and has been convicted of five murders in three states, was to be executed in Idaho Maximum Security Institution at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, per the state’s corrections department.
But at around 11 a.m., Corrections Director Josh Tewalt announced that the execution could not proceed because the medical team was unable to establish an IV line.
Creech was returned to his cell, and his death warrant was set to expire that day at 11:59 p.m., per the department.
At a press conference held on Wednesday at noon, Tewalt said three medical professionals made a combined eight attempts to find Creech’s veins for an IV line.
They tried his right arm, then his right leg, then his left arm, then his left leg, but were ultimately unsuccessful, Tewalt said.
“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,” Tewalt said.
Executions in Idaho are rare. The state has eight inmates on death row, a small fraction of the some 2,300 people with death sentences in the US.
Creech’s defense attorneys, from the Federal Defender Services of Idaho, criticized the corrections department for what they called a “botched” execution, per the local paper the Idaho Statesman.
“This is precisely the kind of mishap we warned the state and the courts would happen when attempting to execute one of the country’s oldest death-row inmates in circumstances completely shielded in secrecy despite a well-known history of getting drugs from shady sources,” said Deborah A. Czuba, a lawyer on the Federal Defender Services of Idaho’s unit concerning death-row cases, per the outlet.
But Tewalt said the halting of Creech’s execution showed that the system works.
“Some are characterizing today’s events as a failure, but the opposite is true. The process worked to prevent a failure, and I think that’s an important distinction,” he said in a statement on his department’s website.
Tewalt said authorities are discussing an execution by firing squad, but are struggling to find units or contractors willing to carry out such a task.
Creech’s history with murder — and what he says is a life reversal
Creech grew up in Ohio but has been serving his sentences in Idaho after he was arrested there in 1974. He has been convicted of three murders in Idaho, one in California, and one in Oregon, per the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.
His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, but he was put on death row again in 1983 after beating a 22-year-old inmate to death. Prosecutors said he killed his fellow prisoner so he would be moved to a preferred housing unit.
Creech has also admitted to killing at least 40 other people, and officials say they have strong evidence that can link him to six more murders.
Supporters for Creech’s death sentence commutation say that he has changed from his serial killer days and renewed his faith as a Christian in 1993, per The Wall Street Journal.
In 1998, he married the mother of a corrections officer who was working at his detention facility, per the WSJ.
He has been on death row for 43 years, and told WSJ that he has tried to help mentor others in prison since undergoing a 1993 transformation.
Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Jill Longhurst in January said that Creech could be “charming” and “likable” but that he was still the “sociopath he’s always been.”
Creech is not the only US inmate to be saved from death row — at least temporarily — by an unsuccessful IV.
Alva Campbell, a terminally ill patient, had his execution in Ohio stopped in 2017 because medical officers couldn’t find a vein. He was 69 at the time and died a year later because of his illness.
Idaho
Charges dropped against BYU-Idaho student accused of kidnapping baby at Costco – East Idaho News
Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal describes a new video from Costco over the incident involving an alleged kidnapping prior to Thanksgiving. | Daniel V. Ramirez, EastIdahoNews.com
IDAHO FALLS — Weeks after a BYU-Idaho student was accused of kidnapping a baby from Costco, the Bonneville County Prosecutor announced Thursday afternoon that charges will be dismissed.
During a news conference, Prosecutor Randy Neal showed three videos from inside Costco during the alleged incident on Nov. 24, which led to Michael Raine, 24, being charged with felony second-degree kidnapping.
According to court documents, Raine was looking at books inside the store and a cart with a baby was nearby.
RELATED | BYU-Idaho student accused of kidnapping 4-week-old baby in Costco
The document states that Raine “looked around” and then grabbed the cart and walked away.
The issue for officials was what occurred once Raine rounded the corner with the cart and the baby.
Neal said the new video shows Raine walking away with the cart, and the baby’s mother finding him almost immediately. The prosecutor explained that when pursuing cases, a prosecutor reviews the evidence and determines whether, beyond a reasonable doubt, the action was a crime.
“For a prosecutor, the analysis is whether there is a rational basis for someone to conclude, beyond a reasonable doubt, that they are to a moral certainty, that this is a crime? I don’t think that we can say that,” Neal said.
Neal said the surveillance videos from Costco show that Raine had no intention of running away with that cart.
WATCH COSTCO SURVEILLANCE VIDEO HERE:
The other aspect is that Raine didn’t leave the store after the incident, which, according to the documents, indicates the student had purchased items and eaten at the food court.
Looking at the reasons for Raine’s arrest, Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson said at the time, there was only one single video, and based on what was seen, Raine’s actions were found to be suspicious.
Another factor that influenced Raine’s arrest was his trip to the United States Marine Corps Recruiting station in Boise on Nov. 25.
“The detectives were consulting with the prosecutors and made the proper decision at that time in the interest of public safety, based on probable cause, to make that arrest,” Johnson said. “That just doesn’t end the case. There’s a requirement to keep on going.”
Johnson and Neal discussed how detectives met with the mother of the baby and went over the events in a cognitive interview. Neal said this type of interview is a narrative recount of the events by the victim, without any questions being asked.
“Often, the mind will just start filling in pieces in order to make it make sense to them,” Neal said.
Detectives worked on recreating the incident at Costco with the mother, but Neal said some of the mother’s version of events were inaccurate in terms of the cart placement and other minor details.
Neal said Natalie Millett was told charges have been dropped.
In a statement to the media, Millett said the event has caused the emotional pain that words can’t describe and will impact her for life.
“I believe it was miraculous that I ran in the right direction and recovered my baby swiftly, but the outcome could have been so different had I not listened to my intuition and impressions that day,” Millett said.
After being informed that the charges against Raine would be dismissed, Millett stated that she does feel at peace because she has done everything in her power.
One of the major talking points of the conference and in Millett’s statement is the reaction and comments from social media that have attacked her and made egregious remarks about people involved.
“To sit in your basement and write poison is just really disgusting. It’s just inappropriate,” Neal said.
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Idaho
Drivers urged to exercise caution amid potential flooding in North Idaho
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is warning drivers in North Idaho to be vigilant as rising water levels from recent rainfall and runoff may lead to roadway flooding and washouts.
ITD crews are actively monitoring the situation and are prepared to respond as conditions change. Drivers are advised to exercise extra caution, particularly in lowland areas, where conditions can shift rapidly. ITD strongly recommends against driving through standing water, as it can be difficult to gauge its depth or identify hidden hazards. Water intake can also cause significant damage to vehicles. For updates on detours and road closures, drivers are encouraged to visit Idaho 511.
Idaho
Notre Dame pulls away from Idaho, wins 80-65 despite missing leading scorer Markus Burton
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Jalen Haralson scored 20 points, Carson Towt had 19 points and 15 rebounds and Notre Dame pulled away late to beat Idaho 80-65 despite playing without leading scorer Markus Burton on Wednesday night.
Burton, who leads the Fighting Irish at 18.5 ppg, was to have had surgery Wednesday on his left ankle after suffering an injury in Notre Dame’s previous game, an 87-85 overtime win over TCU. He is expected to be out “for the foreseeable future,” according to the school.
Haralson was 8-of-16 shooting and Towt was 9 of 12 in collecting his third double-double this season. Cole Certa had a trio of 3-pointers and 15 points and Braeden Shrewsberry made four 3s and scored 14. The Irish (8-3) shot 52% and made 9 of 14 from the arc in winning their third straight game and improving to 6-0 at home.
Biko Johnson made three 3s and scored 19 points and Jackson Rasmussen added 16 points though the pair combined for only eight second-half points for Idaho (6-4). Brody Rowbury added 11 points. The Vandals shot 40% and made 10 of 24 3-pointers.
Tied 33-all at halftime, Notre Dame never trailed in the second half, going up 61-51 with nine minutes to go after Certa scored the first seven points in an 11-2 run. The Vandals got back within four with six minutes left on a Johnson 3-pointer but that was their final field goal. Shrewsberry and Certa hit 3-pointers in a game-ending 12-1 run.
Up next
Idaho is home against Evergreen State on Sunday.
Notre Dame is home against Evansville on Sunday.
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