The state of Arizona executed Aaron Gunches, 53, on Wednesday, making it the first instance since 2017 where a person has been executed in a state with a Democratic governor. Gunches was convicted for the 2002 murder of Ted Price, a crime for which he had pled guilty to first-degree murder in 2007.
Gunches was put to death by lethal injection at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence, as confirmed by John Barcello, deputy director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. Officials deemed the procedure to have occurred without any complications, and Gunches was pronounced dead at 10:33 a.m., according to a statement obtained by AZFamily. For his last meal, Gunches chose a variety of items including a double bacon cheeseburger, fries, different types of gyros, onion rings, and baklava for dessert. When asked if he had any last words, Gunches simply shook his head.
Members of the victim's family, including Ted Price's sister and daughter, expressed their long-awaited relief following the execution. "Today marks the end of that painful chapter and I couldn't be more grateful," Ted Price's daughter said in a statement that Fox 10 Phoenix reported. Karen Price, Ted's sister, who was present for the execution, said, "Today marks the final chapter in a process that has spanned 23 years, but our journey of healing is far from over."
Notably, Gunches tried to accelerate the execution process by requesting his death warrant with the Arizona Supreme Court in 2022, before withdrawing the request. Despite his absence of legal representation, his execution proceeded amid procedural reviews ordered by Governor Katie Hobbs. The execution underwent certain delays, originally scheduled for April 2023, it was postponed until the review could be completed. Later, changes were announced in the execution team by the state's corrections department, as mentioned in the report by Fox 10 Phoenix.
Controversy has surrounded the death penalty and specifically lethal injection in recent times, with critics arguing against its humane representation. According to a brief filed in January mentioned by Fox 10 Phoenix, law professor Corinna Lain noted that lethal injection can cause acute pulmonary edema, potentially leading to a painful death. Nevertheless, Gunches' case proceeded without a reprieve, with the Arizona Supreme Court rejecting objections over the execution method. At present, Arizona has over 100 death row inmates, with no scheduled dates for future executions.
