Web Desk
PHOENIX — Arizona is set to execute Aaron Brian Gunches, 53, on Wednesday, marking the state’s first use of the death penalty since 2022.
Gunches pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the 2002 killing of Ted Price, his girlfriend’s ex-husband.
He will be lethally injected with pentobarbital at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence.
This week, four death row inmates across the U.S. are scheduled for execution. Louisiana carried out an execution on Tuesday, while Florida and Oklahoma have planned theirs for Thursday.
Gunches’ execution is notable as the first in a Democrat-led state since Virginia executed an inmate in 2017 under Gov. Terry McAuliffe.
A Delayed Execution
Gunches’ execution was initially set for April 2023 but was postponed when Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs ordered a review of the state’s death penalty procedures. The review led to changes in the execution team.
The Murder of Ted Price
In late 2002, Price and his ex-wife argued at her apartment, where she struck him with a phone, leaving him dazed but conscious.
Price had reportedly threatened to report her for using drugs in front of their children.
Gunches arrived later and instructed two women present to drive Price to a bus station. When they couldn’t afford a ticket, they took him to the desert, where Gunches shot him.
In January 2003, authorities arrested Gunches after he shot an Arizona state trooper during a traffic stop.
The trooper survived thanks to a bulletproof vest. Ballistics linked the casings from that shooting to those found near Price’s body.
Gunches was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in October 2003 and pleaded guilty in 2007.
Gunches’ Own Requests for Execution
Gunches, who represented himself, initially requested an execution warrant in 2022, claiming it would bring closure to Price’s family.
He later withdrew his request, but Arizona still scheduled his execution before postponing it for review.
In December, he urged the state Supreme Court to expedite his execution, calling his sentence “long overdue.” The court denied the request but later set March 20, 2025, as the date.
No Last-Minute Intervention
Despite objections from lawyers unaffiliated with Gunches, no reprieve is expected. These lawyers argued that lethal injection with pentobarbital can cause pulmonary edema, leading to a painful death.
However, the court dismissed their concerns, stating they were not relevant to Gunches’ case.
Last week, Gunches waived his right to seek clemency, clearing the final hurdle for his execution.
