The execution of an American death row inmate was halted at the last minute in Idaho on Wednesday because he could not administer the lethal solution within the legal deadline, that northwestern state's prison administration said.
• Also read: Historic execution in Alabama: 'Worst' ever seen, witness says
• Also read: The death penalty is in decline but is still supported by the majority of Americans
Thomas Creech, 73, a serial killer who spent more than 50 years on death row for killing a fellow inmate during his life sentence, was to be executed by lethal injection.
But almost an hour after the execution began, prison authorities concluded that it was impossible “to give him an intravenous infusion,” according to a press release from the prison administration. “The enforcement order therefore expires,” she added, specifying that the state should decide how to proceed in this case.
The most recent execution missed for these reasons was that of Kenneth Smith on November 17, 2022 in Alabama (Southeast). He was finally sentenced to death in 1996 for the murder of a woman ordered by her husband and was ultimately executed on January 25 by nitrogen inhalation, a world first that sparked a wave of outrage worldwide.
All 24 executions in the United States in 2023 were carried out by lethal injection.
The death penalty has been abolished in 23 states
The execution of Thomas Creech was one of two scheduled for Wednesday in the United States.
Ivan Cantu, 50, sentenced to death in 2000 and whose fate attracted the attention of celebrities, awaits execution Wednesday evening in Texas (South).
He was sentenced to death in 2001 for the gun murders of his cousin James Mosqueda and his fiancée Amy Kitchen. A double murder that he always claimed he was innocent of.
The prosecution's key witness in his trial was his then-fiancée Amy Boettcher. She claimed Ivan Cantu confessed to the crime and drove her to the crime scene before taking her to Arkansas (South).
Amy Boettcher's brother Jeff Boettcher also incriminated her in the trial, but recanted his statement after his sister's death in 2021.
Ivan Cantu pointed the finger at a local drug dealer to whom his cousin owed a lot of money.
After the discovery of new elements and the emergence of doubts about these statements by the prosecution, his execution scheduled for April 2023 was stayed, but this stay was then overturned by the Texas Court of Appeals.
Actor Martin Sheen, an opponent of the death penalty, urged people on Instagram to sign the online petition, which has already garnered more than 150,000 signatures, calling on conservative Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to suspend the death penalty.
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian also called for mobilization on social media Wednesday to ask the governor for “a 30-day reprieve” so he can re-examine the Ivan Cantu case.
The Texas bishops' conference voted for a delay, citing the “serious uncertainties” surrounding the sentencing.
The death penalty has been abolished in 23 US states. Six others (Arizona, California, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Tennessee) observe a moratorium on executions by order of the governor.
According to a recent Gallup Institute poll, a majority of Americans (50% vs. 47%) believe that the death penalty is not administered fairly in the United States, a first since that poll began in 2000. The majority (53%) are vocally supportive same source nevertheless the death penalty.