In a turn of events that spotlight the somber mechanics of the death penalty, an Arizona prisoner has taken the unusual step of hastening his march toward the execution chamber. Aaron Brian Gunches, who is on death row for the 2002 killing of Ted Price, filed a handwritten court pleading to the Arizona Supreme Court, urging them to fast-track his execution to mid-February, as ABC15 reported. Advocating for himself, Gunches claimed that the state, whom he accuses of dragging its feet, owes him the swift execution of his "long overdue" death sentence.
Representing himself, Gunches appears to have not relied on the expertise of a trained attorney, seeking instead to bypass what he considers extraneous legal formalities. Attorney General Kris Mayes' office disagrees, arguing that a proper briefing schedule is imperative to ensure that execution protocols, such as the preparation for lethal injection with pentobarbital, are adequately followed, as detailed by 12 News.
The request from Gunches comes after a period of introspection and legal review concerning Arizona's death penalty procedures, prompting a two-year cessation in executions. This respite ended in controversy, with Governor Katie Hobbs' office asserting the state's unpreparedness to carry out death sentences due to a lack of properly trained personnel. Despite promises from Hobbs to avoid any executions until a lawful, fail-safe method was assured, the review concluded without certainty in November after the dismissal of the retired federal magistrate tasked with its oversight.
A plea for closure was issued by Gunches two years ago when he first petitioned the court for an execution warrant. He cited the need for the victim's family's healing as a justification. And having admitted guilt in the murder of Ted Price, his girlfriend's ex-husband near Mesa, Arizona. Gunches has already been navigating a prolonged stay on death row—a cohort of 111 as noted by ABC15.
