Thomas Creech’s last five months have been a flurry of legal activity without much success
By Roland Beres
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BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — Convicted killer Thomas Creech faces execution Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. After nearly 50 years on death row, the last five months have seemed to be a fast slide toward the inevitable.
On Monday night, Creech’s defense team sent Idaho News 6 a copy of their latest petition to request a stay of execution.
The petition, made to the United States Supreme Court, seeks to cast doubt on statements and evidence presented during a clemency hearing, and thereby void Creech’s execution.
Just over that hill, Thomas Creech sits on death row, counting his final hours and waiting for a possible reprieve.
He has been on death row for more than 40 years. But the pace of progression to execution has moved fairly quickly in the last five months.
I’m senior Reporter Roland Beres… with more on how we got here. Creech’s lawyers filed for clemency… on October 14 of last year, just a few days later, An Ada County Judge issued a stay of execution.
At about the same time, the state announced it had acquired the necessary drugs for execution by lethal injection.
In January, the Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole gave Creech the clemency hearing he wanted, but the hearing resulted in a deadlock 3-3 vote. One member recused himself. As a result, clemency was denied.
The next day, prosecutors obtained a new death warrant… with execution scheduled for February 28.
Another appeal – by Creech’s defense – was denied by the state supreme court on February 9 and just last week — the 9th circuit declined to delay execution.
Meanwhile, Governor Brad Little announced he would not intervene on Creech’s behalf.
There was an appeal to the US Supreme Court for a rehearing in the 9th Circuit, which was denied.
And the clock keeps ticking to the execution this Wednesday at 10 a.m.
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