FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
| Date: | Jan. 29, 2024 |
| Contact: | Emily Lowe Public Information Officer 208-287-7700 |
| RE: | State v. Decision on Thomas Creech’s commutation hearing |
BOISE – We first want to acknowledge the many people involved in the preparation of Thomas Eugene
Creech’s commutation hearing.
We are grateful for the time Mr. David Jensen’s family took to attend Mr. Creech’s commutation hearing, and
for making their thoughtful victim impact statements. Thank you to all the other victims of Mr. Creech’s we
spoke to during the preparation of this hearing. We understand it is not easy to relive these experiences from
decades ago.
We are particularly appreciative of our own Investigator Wade Spain, as he was instrumental in providing
San Bernardino County with evidence that led to San Bernardino County announcing Mr. Creech as the
suspect in the 49-year-old cold case murder of Daniel Walker.
We thank the team who spent hours and hours preparing for this hearing, and represented Mr. Creech’s
lengthy criminal history accurately. A special thanks to Deputy Prosecutor Jill Longhurst and Special Deputy
Prosecutor Roger Bourne for their hard work.
Mr. Creech is a convicted serial killer. He has been convicted of five murders, including three in Idaho, one in
California, and one in Oregon. In 1981, the state sought the death penalty against Mr. Creech for the firstdegree
murder of Mr. Jensen.
Seeking the death penalty is not an easy decision or process. We continue to standby the decision to seek the
death penalty in this case. We particularly agree with the following statement from the Commission of
Pardons and Parole in their written decision issued today: “If the Commission cannot uphold the death
penalty in this case, then the death penalty means nothing in the state of Idaho.”
We again thank the Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole for their time and attention during this hearing.