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Thomas Creech's execution canceled, IV line couldn't be established (www.boisestatepublicradio.org)
submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by FirstCircle@lemmy.ml to c/usa@lemmy.ml
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Imagine if they DID "have the facilities" to kill him by firing squad. They'd spend 45 minutes trying to figure out how to load their rifles, kill a few members of the squad by mistake, then proceed to graze this guy a half dozen times if they were lucky. Idaho. Famous potato-heads.

The execution of Thomas Creech scheduled for Wednesday morning was canceled at 11 a.m. Idaho Department of Correction director Josh Tewalt determined the execution could not happen because the medical team could not establish an IV line.

In a news conference, Tewalt said the medical team did a physical assessment of Creech this morning and believed they would be able to establish IV access. When Creech was in the execution room, Tewalt said the team tried eight times through multiple limbs and appendages to establish that access.

Witnesses from news media said the medical team began trying to get IV access at 10:13 a.m. and it went on for around 45 minutes.

Idaho law allows for execution by lethal injection and firing squad, but Tewalt said the state does not have the facilities to carry out a firing squad style execution at this time.

Creech has been returned to his cell in the F block. Tewalt said that they will allow the death warrant to expire and there is currently no idea for a time frame or next steps moving forward in regards to the execution and death warrant, but that will be discussed in the days ahead.

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[-] MsPenguinette@lemmy.world 14 points 8 months ago

Damn, imagine what that must be like for him right now. He woke up fullly knowing he was going to killed that day. Which is already wild to really think about what that must be like. But then imagine what today must be like? I have no idea what feelings he must be feeling but I assume they are very complicated feelings

[-] cabron_offsets@lemmy.world 12 points 8 months ago

Dude’s probably numb af.

[-] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago

I'm hoping he felt what his victims felt.

[-] AstridWipenaugh@lemmy.world 6 points 8 months ago

I'm 100% against the death penalty, but a gun death seems the way to go. A desert eagle pressed against the temple will guarantee the job is done correctly and death is instant. It's messy, but killing someone shouldn't be easy to handle.

But if had to choose my way, I'd choose a bottle of good whiskey and a fistful of opioids.

[-] vexikron@lemmy.zip 10 points 8 months ago

A correctly done hanging snaps the neck instantly and is nearly certainly less painful and drawn out than lethal injection. You are basically totally brain dead within I think under 10 seconds.

Obviously an incorrectly done hanging is horrible as you asphyxiate in an extremely painful physical position.

Technically lethal injection methods vary, but the last thing I remember reading about them was... they do not actually render you unconscious and then inject the stuff that kills you.

They render you /paralyzed/, and then inject the stuff that kills you, which more or less make you feel as if your blood is on fire, and this can take up to 2 minutes before it flatlines your heart... brain probably takes longer to die, all in extreme agony.

[-] MsPenguinette@lemmy.world 10 points 8 months ago

If I had to pick for myself, I'd pick guillotine. Feel like it's success rate has to be near 100%

[-] vexikron@lemmy.zip 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

True, but then you have that whole weird... few seconds of being able to move your eyes and possibly make facial expressions while your head rolls around thing haha.

And yes, a properly sharpened, weighted and ... drop heighted... guillotine will lop off your head every time.

Takes a fair amount of strength and finesse to chop someones head off on a block. IIIRC, there are more than a couple recorded instances of bad executioners having to make a number of swings to totally off somebody's head. Bleeeegh.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago

Nearly Headless Nick would like a word. ;)

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works -5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I think carbon dioxide and maybe carbon monoxide poisoning are generally pretty painless. High levels of either generally result in unconsciousness fairly quickly, and you'll die without knowing it.

So the best way to go would probably be to just fill the cell with carbon dioxide while the prisoner sleeps. No pain, no uncomfortable anticipation, no suffering.

I'm completely against the death penalty as well, but I think I'd rather go that way than go through the traditional process.

[-] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 9 points 8 months ago

Carbon dioxide is not the answer.

When you can't breathe, the panicked feeling and the discomfort you feel aren't from a lack of oxygen, but rather from an excess build up of carbon dioxide. There are plenty of other gasses that just make you feel light headed and fall unconscious without your body recognizing what's happening, but CO2 is not one of them.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago

Really? I've always heard the car tailpipe "trick" was one of the least painful ways to go, and I figured that was from CO2. But maybe it's other gasses in exhaust? Or maybe I'm mistaken?

Either way, my point is gas poisoning while sleeping is probably the most painless way to go. I'm no expert on side effects of various gasses, so perhaps there's a better one to go for.

[-] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 9 points 8 months ago

Car exhaust, unless I'm mistaken, contains carbon monoxide, not carbon dioxide. CO is painless; CO2 building up in your blood is what triggers the panicked breath reflex we associate with asphyxiation.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 4 points 8 months ago

Ah, my mistake. Thanks for the correction.

[-] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 5 points 8 months ago

The "medically trained volunteer" murderers couldn't find a vein? I'm shocked. What a let down that must have been for them.

/s

[-] aspensmonster@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 8 months ago

Idaho Department of Correction director Josh Tewalt determined the execution could not happen because the medical team could not establish an IV line.

Using language like "the medical team" is disingenuous. Actual healthcare professionals would be violating their oaths if they were to participate in lethal injections like this. Sometimes states can find healthcare professionals willing to take on the job despite their oaths, but typically, it's corrections officers that get tasked with trying to cosplay as healthcare professionals in these scenarios.

[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Ah yes! Nitrogen is the key!.....s minutes later....the last of the executioners has been rescued after the nitrogen incident where the manometer was not installed properly and the entire building was filled with the deadly gas.

[-] Yeldarb12@toast.ooo 11 points 8 months ago

You should look up how much nitrogen there is naturally in normal air.

[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

It's not the nitrogen in the air, it's the displacement of oxygen that does it.

[-] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 7 points 8 months ago

Nitrogen is not a deadly gas. It's the lack of oxygen that is lethal.

Something like 78% of the atmosphere is nitrogen.

[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

But sarcasm man, that's the real deal.

this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2024
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