Creech, 73, was sentenced to death for the 1981 murder of a fellow inmate.
The scheduled execution of Thomas Eugene Creech, a convicted serial killer who spent decades on death row, was called off on Wednesday after medical personnel encountered repeated difficulties in establishing an intravenous line for the lethal injection, according to The Metro.
Creech, 73, was sentenced to death for the 1981 murder of a fellow inmate at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, adding to five prior murder convictions across three states. He was strapped to a gurney and transferred to the execution chamber on Wednesday morning, according to the news portal.
However, despite eight attempts by a medical team, a suitable vein for administering the lethal injection could not be located. Witness reports indicate that Creech extended his fingers towards family members and representatives during the process, appearing to mouth "I love you" to one individual.
Following the unsuccessful attempts, the execution was called off. The warden approached Creech and engaged in a brief, hushed conversation, concluding with a squeeze of his arm.
Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador expressed his frustration, stating that "justice has been delayed again" due to the turn of events.
Serial killer Creech was set to be executed after a 43-year-long wait on death row-one of the longest death row stints in US history.
According to Forbes magazine, the Idaho Department of Corrections will allow Creech's death warrant to expire and does not have "an idea of time frames or next steps at this point," Director Josh Tewalt said in a press conference Wednesday, noting that the department will continue discussing in the "days ahead."
Creech's attorneys reportedly filed a new motion calling for a stay in the execution immediately after the execution was called off, claiming "the badly botched execution" proves the state can't carry out a humane execution.