Thomas Eugene Creech | |
|---|---|
 Creech on the day of his arrest Nov 6, 1974. | |
| Born | September 9, 1950 Hamilton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Convictions | First degree murder (5 counts)[1] |
| Criminal penalty | Death (Jensen) Death; commuted to life imprisonment x2 (Arnold-Bradford murders) Life imprisonment (Dean) Life imprisonment (Robinson) |
| Details | |
| Victims | 5 convicted, 11–43 suspected |
Span of crimes | 1974 (confirmed) – 1981 (confirmed) |
| Country | United States |
| States | California, Idaho and Oregon (confessed to or was linked but not charged in other states as well) |
Date apprehended | November 8, 1974 |
| Imprisoned at | Idaho Maximum Security Institution, Kuna, Idaho |
Thomas Eugene Creech (born September 9, 1950) is an American serial killer who was convicted of two murders committed in 1974 and sentenced to death in Idaho. The sentence was reduced two years later on appeal to life imprisonment. He was sent back to Idaho's death row for a 1981 murder committed while imprisoned. Creech personally confessed to a total of 42 murders in various states,[2] some of which allegedly involved the Hells Angels and the Church of Satan. Most of his additional confessions are uncorroborated, but police believe strong evidence links Creech to seven additional murder victims (in two of which he was convicted).[3] In January 2024, an investigation by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department concluded that Creech murdered Daniel A. Walker (in what was a cold case).[1]
As of 2024, Creech was the longest-serving death row inmate in the state. His execution, scheduled for February 28, 2024, resulted in a failed attempt and was cancelled. He remains on death row.[4][5] His new execution date of November 13, 2024, had been scheduled, but on November 6, a federal judge halted his execution to allow for legal challenges.[6]
- ^ a b "Ada County Prosecutor's Office statement following Thomas Creech's commutation hearing". 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Former sexton confesses to 42 murders". The Miami News. October 17, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Statesman1975was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Thomas Eugene Creech has been on and off death row for 43 years. What is it costing?". KIVI-TV. November 4, 2019. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
- ^ McCauley, Cooper (February 28, 2024). "No Execution: Thomas Creech execution unable to proceed after trouble placing IV line". KIVI-TV. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Idaho issues execution warrant for inmate who survived a botched attempt". AP News. October 16, 2024.