The Arizona Supreme Court has set an execution date for Aaron Brian Gunches following his 2007 conviction for the kidnapping and murder of Ted Price, as reported by Fox 10 Phoenix. In a recent statement, officials from the Arizona Supreme Court detailed that March 19, will mark the day of Gunches' execution, a decision taken amidst a complex legal backdrop.
Gunches himself did not oppose the motion for his execution warrant when the state filed its request on January 10. This lack of opposition came even though he had initially attempted to fast-track his death, filing a request to be executed on Friday. He later clarified his stance, saying his death sentence was "long overdue" and accused the state of dragging its feet, as per 12 News.
As the date of execution approaches, the legal drama surrounding Gunches continues to unfold. Previous Attorney General Mark Brnovich's request for the death warrant was succeeded by his office's attempt to eventually withdraw the request—only to be denied by the court. To add to the complexity, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has signaled that her administration would not carry out an execution, as detailed by Fox 10 Phoenix.
