Could Thomas Creech face the firing squad? IDOC director shares next steps after failed execution

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho Department of Correction director Josh Tewalt led a press conference Wednesday after the execution for Thomas Creech was deemed unable to continue.

Inability to establish an IV for lethal injection execution has prompted questions about using a secondary method — firing squad. Director Tewalt released a written statement explaining why this option was not plausible in the timeline before the death warrant expired.

"We've been working with the Division of Public Works to retain the expertise necessary to retrofit 'F' Block, our current execution chamber, and accommodate a firing squad," he said. "Those initial efforts were unsuccessful because contractors who would engage in this type of work have expressed their unwillingness to work on a project related to executions, but efforts are ongoing."

Director Tewalt maintains the medical staff is well trained. The judgement to cancel the execution was based on a firm belief the injection could not be properly administered.

"I'm sure some will question or disagree with the decision not to proceed, but I'm confident my decision won't be criticized by anyone who would have to live with the consequences of getting it wrong," he writes.

Is lethal injection a humane way to fulfill a death warrant?

This question poses a moral dilemma for some. Much like the contractors who refused to prepare the execution chamber, many people object to participating in killing regardless of context. The medical team assembled to give the lethal injection to Creech was made up of volunteers. This means everyone involved had a choice.

Idaho legislators have had to consider this question, too. Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney Randy Neal says this dilemma is another reason why the firing squad was approved as a secondary form of execution in Idaho last year. But, it is also receiving opposition.

Child psychiatrist, Matt Larsen, elaborated on why death by firing squad may not be a preferential option for execution even though is it legal.

"It feels different for someone to die by lethal injection than it does a firing squad," Larsen said. "While they both end in death, a firing squad feels more violent. It can feel more personal. It can feel like vengeance, and those aren't things you necessarily want with capital punishment."