Thomas Eugene Creech

Thomas Eugene Creech (born September 9, 1950) is an American serial killer.

For the 17th-century English translator, see Thomas Creech.
Thomas Eugene Creech
Born (1950-09-09) September 9, 1950
Hamilton, Ohio, U.S.
Conviction(s)First degree murder
(4 counts)
Criminal penaltyDeath (Jensen)
Death; commuted to
life imprisonment x2
(Arnold-Bradford murders)
Life imprisonment (Dean)
Details
Victims4 convictions,
possibly 10–43 total
Span of crimes
1974 (confirmed) – 1981 (confirmed)
CountryUnited States
State(s)Idaho and Oregon
(confessed to or was linked but not charged in other states as well)
Date apprehended
November 8, 1974 (1974-11-08)
Imprisoned atIdaho Maximum Security Institution, Kuna, Idaho

He was convicted of two murders committed in 1974, and sentenced to death row in Idaho. The sentence was reduced two years later on appeal to life imprisonment. He was sent to 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,[1] 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.[2]

As of 2019, Creech was the longest-serving death row inmate in the state.[3] Currently, his execution is scheduled to take place on November 8, 2023.

Early life

Creech was born on September 9, 1950, in Hamilton, Ohio. He grew up in an unstable household where his parents frequently argued with one another, eventually leading to a divorce.[1] Creech was left to live with his father, who years later would die from unclear causes right in front of him. At that time, he claimed to have attacked the male nurse who had tended to his father.[4]

The next few years of Creech's life are difficult to verify, as they are interwoven with hearsay and his own uncorroborated claims. From what little can be definitively confirmed, he ran away from his hometown and became a drifter, travelling frequently cross-country. On December 11, 1969, he was sentenced to a 2-to-50-years prison term for unarmed robbery. He was paroled in 1971.[5] In 1973, he married 17-year-old Thomasine Loren White of Boise, Idaho, who allegedly became a participant in at least one of his murders. She was eventually moved to a psychiatric hospital in Salem, Oregon, where she subsequently committed suicide.[4] In a letter that Creech sent to KIVI-TV decades after the fact, he claimed that his wife had been raped by a gang of men and then thrown out a window, causing her debilitating physical and mental injuries that were the primary contributors for her decision to end her life.[4]

On August 22, 1973, he broke the conditions of his parole by allegedly stealing 13 cartons of cigarettes in Portland. The charges were dropped after he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for a mental evaluation.[5] Creech was housed in an open ward and was described as a model patient during his short stay, being released only a week later after it was determined that he did not suffer from any mental illnesses.[5] He then moved back to Portland, where he found a job as a sexton for the St. Marks Episcopal Church. He later quit his job after the body of a man was found in his living quarters. Shortly thereafter, he and his new girlfriend, 17-year-old Carol Spaulding, would move to Idaho.[4]

Idaho murders and arrest

On November 6, 1974, Creech and Spaulding were hitchhiking in Idaho from Lewiston south to Donnelly when a 1956-model Buick Century, operated by two house painters, 34-year-old Edward Thomas Arnold and 40-year-old John Wayne Bradford, picked them up.[4] Along the way, Creech pulled out a rifle and shot both of them in the head, then buried their bodies along Highway 55 in Valley County near Donnelly, north of Cascade. Their bodies and blood-spattered car were found on the next day.[4][6][7] In the meantime, Creech had befriended a 26-year-old named Gene Alvin Hilby, who later agreed to bury the rifle at his behest, unaware that it was a murder weapon.

Two days after the murders, after Creech was proposed as a suspect in two additional murders in Oregon and for supposedly sending death threats to the newly-elected Colorado senator Gary Hart, he and Spaulding were arrested in Glenns Ferry (in Elmore County) by police officer Bill Hill, who had been notified that they were fugitives wanted for murder.[8][9][10][11] While both of them were arraigned on murder charges,[12] Creech was cleared of his supposed involvement with the death threats,[13] as it was determined that it was just rumors that spread from a police officer, one of Hart's campaign managers and a prosecutor.[14] Briefly held at the Valley County jail in Cascade, Creech was transferred ninety miles (145 km) south to the more secure Ada County jail in Boise.[10][11][15]

Trial and imprisonment

About a week after his arrest, Creech attempted to commit suicide by slashing his wrists with a broken piece of mirror, but managed only a minor injury before being restrained by prison guards and moved to another cell.[16][17] Hilby, the man who had buried the supposed murder weapon and had originally also been charged with participating in the murder, was later released on probation after pleading guilty to hindering a murder case.[18] In January 1975, it was decided that the now-18-year-old Spaulding would be tried as an adult for the two counts of first-degree murder.[19]

Creech continued to cause trouble even after his arrest; on June 16, he attacked and injured his cellmate William O. Fischer during an altercation.[20] Fischer had to be driven to hospital to treat his facial injuries, but no further information is available about the incident itself due to a gag order being placed on the case.[20] A month later, Creech attempted to sue the Idaho Statesman for supposedly violating his right to a fair trial by publishing information on other crimes he was either convicted or suspected of, thus possibly prejudicing the public against him.[21]

In August, shortly after a change of venue from Cascade to Wallace (in Shoshone County) was accepted, Creech was sent to the hospital for stitches after suffering injuries caused from falling out of his bunk bed in his cell at the jail and hitting his head.[22][23] In October, it was ruled that an alleged confession, in which Creech, who initially had claimed was not near the murder site, says that he had shot and killed the two men after they pulled a knife on them and threatened to rape Spaulding, can be admitted as evidence in the upcoming trial.[24]

Confessions and other victims

After his taking the stand at his trial in October 1975, Creech shocked the entire nation when he readily admitted his responsibility in 42 murders in nearly a dozen states.[25][26][27][28] He alleged the first murder occurred when he was 17 and drowned a friend in New Miami, Ohio.[4][27] In his confession, Creech claimed he had killed a gay man in San Francisco in 1965, after running away from home, and later killed five people in Ohio in contract murders while he was with the Hells Angels, and later began killing people in Satanic rituals involving human sacrifices.[1][25] In total, he claimed to know of such killings that had occurred in Burien, Washington; San Diego, San Francisco and Malibu, California; Beaver, Ogden and Salt Lake City, Utah; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Missoula, Montana; Wichita, Kansas, and another city in Colorado.[1] He also directed the authorities to two alleged burial grounds in Los Angeles County, where he claimed they could locate 100 victims, but the searches only turned up a cow bone.[1]

While his confessions were shocking, authorities considered most of them to be bogus, with one officer saying that his recitation of the 'Satanic rites' had been copied word-for-word from an issue of Playboy.[1] Nonetheless, they were able to link him to the murders of nine victims in total, none of which were killed in supposed "Satanic sacrifices": Gordon Lee Stanton and Charles Thomas Miller in Las Vegas, Nevada; 22-year-old William Joseph Dean, the man whose body was found in his church living quarters in Portland, Oregon; 19-year-old Salem store clerk Sandra Jane Ramsamoog, who was killed not long after Dean; 22-year-old Riogley Stewart McKenzie near Baggs, Wyoming, and 50-year-old Vivian Grant Robinson in Sacramento, California.[2] Among his credible victims was 70-year-old retiree Paul C. Schrader, who had been stabbed to death in an apparent robbery at the Downtown Motor Hotel in Tucson, Arizona, on October 23, 1973.[29] Creech, who at that time had found work as a cook in the El Bambi Cafe in Beaver, Utah, was later arrested for disorderly conduct and identified as the suspect after a routine police check revealed that he was wanted for Schrader's murder.[30] Creech and Thomasine White were charged with the murder,[31] but the pair was acquitted after only hours of deliberation.[4] Creech pleaded guilty to the 1974 murder of William Joseph Dean in Portland, Oregon.[32] He was not tried for the other murders he was verifiably linked to (except Schrader and Dean).

While he was now considered a self-admitted serial killer, Creech continued to profess his innocence in the Arnold-Bradford murders.[33] The jury took a few days of deliberations in order to return a guilty verdict to the case due to the confusing circumstances.[34][35] His attorney, with the assistance of private investigator John Wickersham, sought to interview additional witnesses in order to have the conviction overturned.[36] Five months later on March 25, 1976, Creech was sentenced to death by hanging for the two murders.[33][37][38]

Originally set for May 21,[37][38] his execution was stayed pending appeals, with Creech willingly offering to stand trial for some of his killings in Oregon and California.[39] He would later be convicted of these killings, but his exact sentence is unknown.[4]

Prison murder and new sentence

As a result of the 1976 Supreme Court ruling Gregg v. Georgia (which led to changes in death penalty sentencing), one of Creech's attorneys, Bruce Robinson, sought to have his client's sentence overturned and resentenced to life imprisonment, citing that it violated the state's now-illegitimate death penalty statute.[40] Robinson's strategy proved to be a success, as Creech's sentence was later commuted and he was indeed resentenced to life imprisonment.[41][42][43] Robinson additionally petitioned for Creech to be freed altogether, but was unsuccessful.[44]

Creech was housed at the Idaho State Correctional Institution, east of Kuna.[43] He worked as a janitor in the prison, despite the protests of two prosecutors, who warned the wardens that he still posed a threat, even to other inmates. Their fears were realized on May 13, 1981, when 23-year-old David Dale Jensen,[45] a car thief who had previous altercations with Creech, attempted to attack Creech with a sock stuffed with a battery. During the scuffle, Creech managed to take hold of the sock and started beating Jensen with it, repeatedly bashing and kicking his head and causing Jensen's death.[46] He was quickly tried, convicted and sentenced to death, asking the victim's father for forgiveness and stating his wish was to be executed, as he did not want to die in solitary confinement.[47]

Current status

Since his second death sentence, Creech has been on death row, now housed at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, where he is also the longest-serving inmate. One of the prosecutors at his original trial, Jim Harris, later told in an interview that he now preferred him to be taken off death row, as he considered that his case had cost the taxpayers too much for an execution that possibly may never come.[3]

In 2020, Creech and another death row inmate, Gerald Pizzuto, filed a federal lawsuit in which they claimed their rights were violated by the state's secrecy surrounding the execution protocol.[48] The lawsuit was thrown out by U.S. District Court Judge David Nye, citing their ongoing appeals as a prime factor of why it has no current standing.[48]

On October 12, 2023, Judge Jason D. Scott signed Creech's death warrant, setting his execution date for November 8, 2023.[49]

See also

References
  1. "Former sexton confesses to 42 murders". The Miami News. October 17, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Idaho police link Creech to nine murders, not 42". Statesman Journal. October 18, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "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.
  4. "The history of an Idaho serial killer who has been on and off death row for nearly 43 years". KIVI-TV. November 1, 2019. Archived from the original on June 26, 2021.
  5. "Suspected Killer Spent Time in Mental Hospital". Idaho State Journal. November 21, 1974 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Bodies still unidentified". Lewiston Morning Tribune. November 7, 1974. p. 5.
  7. Roche, Kevin (November 8, 1974). "Hikers sought in double murder". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 18.
  8. "Idaho police nab suspect in two Oregon murders". Albany Democrat-Herald. Associated Press. November 9, 1974. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Roche, Kevin (November 9, 1974). "Transient, Lewiston girl charged in slayings". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 8.
  10. Roche, Kevin (November 10, 1974). "Police transfer murder suspect". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 16.
  11. Roche, Kevin (November 11, 1974). "Murder suspect placed under maximum security at Boise". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 8A.
  12. "Creech waives hearing". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. November 13, 1974. p. 12A.
  13. "Idahoans hold man and girl". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). UPI. November 9, 1974. p. 2.
  14. "Officials Dismiss Any Creech-Death Threat Connection". Statesman Journal. Associated Press. November 10, 1974. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Creech's tales launch inquiries from Missouri to California". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. November 21, 1974. p. 7A.
  16. "Creech tries to slash wrists". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. November 19, 1974. p. 12A.
  17. "Creech apparently tries suicide, fails". Capital Journal. Associated Press. November 18, 1974. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Hilby given probation". Statesman Journal. December 19, 1974 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Adult Trial Due in Idaho Slayings". The Spokesman-Review. January 10, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Inmate jailed with Creech suffers injuries". Albany Democrat-Herald. June 17, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Creech sues paper". South Idaho Press. July 17, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Creech suffers head injury". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. August 14, 1975. p. 1A.
  23. "Creech injures self in cell fall". Albany Democrat-Herald. August 14, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. "One Interview Put in Record". The Spokesman-Review. October 15, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. "Creech claims 42 murders". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. October 17, 1975. p. 1A.
  26. "Creech says he's killed 42 people". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. October 17, 1975. p. 1.
  27. "Creech claims contracts". Ellensburg Daily Record. UPI. October 17, 1975. p. 3.
  28. "Police officers link Creech to nine murders". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. October 18, 1975. p. 1A.
  29. "Couple sought in slaying". Tucson Citizen. November 19, 1973 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. "Local Police Nab Ariz. Murder Suspect". The Beaver Press. January 3, 1974 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. "Trial Begins In October Motel Murder". Arizona Daily Star. March 1, 1974 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. Fixler, Kevin (October 12, 2023). "Death warrant signed for longest-serving Idaho death row inmate for November execution". Idaho Statesman. Yahoo News.
  33. "Creech, Who Claims He Killed 42, To Hang for 2 Deaths He Denies". Statesman Journal. March 26, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. "Creech convicted". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. October 23, 1975. p. 1A.
  35. "Creech jury deliberating case". The Daily News. October 22, 1975 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. John Kuglin (December 8, 1975). "Blind Private Eye: Defeatism Is Out". The Burlington Free Press – via Newspapers.com.
  37. "Creech receives gallows sentence". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. March 26, 1976. p. 1A.
  38. "Creech ordered to hang". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. March 26, 1976. p. 10.
  39. "Creech offers to stand trial in Oregon, Cal". Albany Democrat-Herald. June 9, 1976 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. "Attorney for Creech Favors Life in Prison". The Spokesman-Review. May 6, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. "Idaho's death penalty thrown out". South Idaho Press. October 21, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. "Creech sentence negated". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. October 21, 1977. p. 1A.
  43. Smith, Stephen C. (January 27, 1978). "Killers on Idaho death row doubt they'll ever be hung". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 1C.
  44. "Creech Seeks Freedom". Idaho State Journal. December 6, 1977 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. "Creech charges may be delayed". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. May 15, 1981. p. 20.
  46. "Creech says he killed inmate in self-defense". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. February 22, 1984. p. 8.
  47. "Creech asks forgiveness, wants death by injection". The Bulletin. January 12, 1982 – via Google News.
  48. Rebecca Boone (November 18, 2020). "US judge rejects inmates' lawsuit on Idaho execution plans". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021.
  49. Kevin Fixler (October 12, 2023). "Death warrant signed for longest-serving Idaho death row inmate for November execution". Idaho Statesman. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023.
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