On February 28, 2024, Idaho was scheduled to execute Thomas Creech, a 73-year-old man who had been on Idaho's death row for more than four decades, convicted of the 1974 murder of a fellow inmate. It would have been Idaho's first execution in a decade. It did not happen. After more than an hour of attempts, IDOC halted the execution because medical personnel were unable to establish peripheral intravenous (IV) access to administer the lethal injection drugs. The failure became one of the most significant events in Idaho corrections history in 2024 — and it led directly to a formal update of the state's execution procedures eight months later.
What Happened: A Timeline
Idaho's lethal injection protocol requires the establishment of IV access before the execution sequence begins. On the evening of February 28, 2024, the IDOC's medical team — required by protocol to establish peripheral IV access before proceeding — worked for approximately one hour attempting to insert an IV line into Creech's veins. They were unsuccessful.
IDOC's existing policy at the time did allow for the establishment of a central line (a catheter inserted into a major vein, typically in the neck, chest, or groin) if peripheral IV access failed. However, the medical team did not proceed to this step, and IDOC halted the execution and returned Creech to his cell.
Creech's attorney subsequently argued that the failed execution constituted cruel and unusual punishment — that Idaho's handling of the attempt, including the prolonged unsuccessful IV attempts, caused unnecessary pain and suffering in violation of the Eighth Amendment. Creech had stated afterward that the process was painful.
Why Peripheral IV Access Failed
Establishing IV access in older patients, people with a history of intravenous drug use (which can damage veins), people with obesity, or people who are simply dehydrated can be medically challenging. Creech, 73 years old at the time, had been incarcerated for over 40 years. The specific medical reasons for the difficulty in his case were not publicly detailed by IDOC.
The failure drew national attention because it added to a growing record of problematic executions across the United States in which lethal injection procedures have taken far longer than expected, required multiple attempts, or produced visible distress in the condemned person. Medical associations in the United States have long maintained that physician participation in executions is unethical under medical professional standards, creating a structural tension in how states recruit and retain qualified medical personnel for execution teams.
The October 2024 Protocol Update
In October 2024, IDOC published an official update to its execution Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), stating that the update reflected "modifications made to reflect physical plant changes to F Block and the process for religious accommodation requests." The SOP update also formalized the procedures around IV access, addressing the gap that had been exposed by the February failure.
IDOC's formal statement on the protocol update noted that the February halting of the execution had prompted a review of procedures. The updated protocols provide clearer guidance on when and how to proceed to alternative IV access methods if peripheral access cannot be established.
Thomas Creech's Legal Status After the Halt
Following the halted execution, Creech's legal team filed motions arguing that a second execution attempt would constitute double jeopardy and unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment. Courts have generally not accepted double jeopardy arguments in this context — constitutional law does not typically prohibit a second execution attempt when the first failed through procedural complication. However, the litigation over Creech's case remained active, and Idaho had not rescheduled the execution as of late 2024.
Idaho's Death Row
Idaho maintains a small death row population. Capital punishment cases in Idaho are rare, and the state went a decade between executions before the February 2024 attempt. IDOC's execution facility is in F Block at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, Idaho — the physical plant changes referenced in the October 2024 protocol update refer to modifications at this location.
IDOC headquarters: 1299 North Orchard Street, Suite 110, Boise, ID 83706. Phone: (208) 658-2000. Website: idoc.idaho.gov.