Two notable executions scheduled for tomorrow after a notably slow capital start to 2024

In the modern capital punishment era, the months of January and February often seem to be fairly active in execution chambers throughout the United States (perhaps in part becaise the holidays of November and December tend to reduce execution numbers).  Using the execution database at the Death Penalty Information Center, I checked out data going back every five years to discover that over the first two months of 2019, there were three executions; in 2014, there were 10 executions; in 2009, there were 15 executions; in 2004, there were 14 executions; and in 1999, there were 22 executions(!) over the first two months of that year.

But so far in 2024, there has only been a single execution in US (albeit a high-profile one due to Alabama’s use of a new execution method).  If this month were to close without another execution, we would have the fewest US executions to start a year since 2008 when all executions were halted as the Supreme Court considered constitutional challenges to lethal injection protocols in Baze v. Kentucky.  However, there are actually executions scheduled in two states tomorrow.  Here are press stories providing background:

“Idaho to execute Thomas Creech, infamous serial killer linked to at least 11 deaths“

“A Texas man on death row says his execution this month would be ‘for a crime I didn’t commit’“

I sense that claims of innocence in the Texas case might create some chance that one of these two scheduled executions does not go forward tomorrow.  But I expect both will be carried out, which would bring the number of executions over the first two month of 2024 up to a total of three.  Notably, the latest DPIC list of upcoming executions does not currently list any executions scheduled this year for the months of March or May and only a couple executions scheduled for April and June.  This schedule certainyl suggest that the historically low number of executions may continue through 2024, although states always can (and often do) add new execution dates in mid-year.