The Dark Trail of Thomas Eugene Creech

Introduction

Thomas Eugene Creech, born on September 9, 1950, in Hamilton, Ohio, is a name that sends shivers down the spine in the annals of American crime. Convicted of two heinous murders in 1974 and sentenced to death in Idaho, Creech's sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment. However, his return to Idaho's death row came after a 1981 murder committed while imprisoned. Self-proclaimed as a serial killer, Creech confessed to a staggering 42 murders across various states, some allegedly involving a mysterious biker gang and the Church of Satan. Although many of these confessions remain unverified, authorities strongly suspect his involvement in seven additional murders, two of which he was convicted for. In January 2024, a cold case investigation by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department concluded that Creech murdered Daniel A. Walker.

Early Life

Creech's early life was as tumultuous as the crimes he would later commit. Born into a household marred by strife, his parents' frequent arguments culminated in a divorce around 1969 or 1970. Young Creech was left in the care of his father, who died under unclear circumstances during a visit to Creech in prison on May 31, 1970. At the time, Creech was in the psychiatric unit in Chillicothe, Ohio, and claimed to have attacked the inmate nurse who had tended to his father.

Following this, Creech's life became a blur of movement and crime. He ran away, becoming a drifter who traversed the country. Arrested on July 27, 1969, for armed robbery, he took a plea deal that reduced the charge to unarmed robbery and was sentenced to two to five years in prison, paroled on December 2, 1971. In March 1973, he married 16-year-old Thomasine Loren White of Portland, Oregon. Their relationship was fraught, with Thomasine in and out of psychiatric care in Salem, Oregon, until her suicide in November 1979. Creech later claimed she had been raped and thrown from a window by a gang, leading to her mental and physical decline.

By August 22, 1973, Creech broke parole by allegedly stealing cigarettes in Portland. Arrested in March 1974 for theft and breaking and entering, he was wanted in Ohio for parole violation. Charges were dropped after a psychiatric evaluation deemed him mentally fit. He was released from the Oregon State Hospital on June 20, 1974, after a brief re-admission following a suicide attempt.

The Idaho Murders

On November 3, 1974, Creech and an accomplice, Carol Spaulding, were hitchhiking in Idaho when they were picked up by house painters Edward Thomas Arnold and John Wayne Bradford. In the early hours of November 4, Creech shot both men in the head and concealed their bodies along Highway 55 in Valley County. Their bodies were discovered the next day, along with their blood-stained car.

Creech and Spaulding were arrested on November 8, 1974, in Glenns Ferry, after being identified as fugitives wanted for murder. Although charged with murder, Creech was cleared of unrelated death threat accusations against Senator Gary Hart. Transferred to the Ada County jail in Boise after a brief hold in Valley County, Creech's troublemaking continued behind bars.

Trial and Imprisonment

Creech's trial was fraught with challenges and delays. After a suicide attempt in custody, Carol Spaulding was tried as an adult and sentenced to two years for abetting Creech. Creech's own trial, initially set for May 1975 in Valley County, was postponed due to prejudicial media coverage and eventually moved to Wallace, Idaho. Despite a change of venue, Creech's disruptive behavior persisted, including an assault on his cellmate and an unsuccessful lawsuit against the Idaho Statesman for prejudicial reporting.

In October 1975, Creech made a shocking courtroom confession to 42 murders across multiple states, with claims involving satanic rituals and biker gangs. Although many confessions were deemed false, authorities linked him to nine murders, including Vivian Grant Robinson in Sacramento and William Joseph Dean in Portland. Creech was convicted of five murders in total.

Legal Proceedings and Further Convictions

Thomas Creech's legal battles were far from over. Sentenced to death by hanging for the Arnold-Bradford murders, his execution was stayed pending appeals. Creech's death sentence was eventually commuted to life imprisonment following the 1976 Supreme Court ruling in Gregg v. Georgia. In subsequent years, Creech was convicted of additional murders, including the 1974 murder of William Joseph Dean and the murder of Vivian Grant Robinson in California.

Prison Murder and Current Status

Creech's violent tendencies continued behind bars. In 1981, while serving his life sentences, he committed another murder, leading to a return to death row. As of 2024, Creech remains Idaho's longest-serving death row inmate. An execution scheduled for February 28, 2024, was called off, and a new date set for November 13, 2024, was halted by a federal judge for legal challenges.

Conclusion

Thomas Eugene Creech's story is a chilling account of a life marked by violence, deception, and manipulation. His confessions, though often dubiously inflated, have left a trail of unresolved mysteries and heartbreak. As Creech continues to await his fate on death row, the shadow of his actions lingers, a sobering reminder of the darkness that can reside within.

Sources

For more detailed information, visit the original Wikipedia article on Thomas Eugene Creech.