The state of Arizona has carried out its first execution since 2022, with Aaron Gunches being put to death by lethal injection on Wednesday for the 2002 murder of Ted Price. The execution took approximately 17 minutes, concluding smoothly according to an updated process established by Arizona officials to prevent errors like those seen in past executions, as reported by The Washington Post.
Gunches, 53, had long sought to quickly expedite his own execution process after his 2008 guilty plea in the murder of his then-girlfriend's ex-partner. Arizona's Attorney General Kris Mayes, who witnessed the procedure, said, "Today, Arizona resumed the death penalty, and justice for Ted Price and his family was finally served." The execution was conducted at the Arizona state prison in Florence, and Gunches was pronounced dead at 10:33 a.m., according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. Gunches declined to make any final statement, deputy director John Barcello reported, as per The Washington Post.
Karen Price remembered her brother Ted as a compassionate and loving person, emphasizing his love for music, sports, and family. She recounted the profound impact of his absence on his family in a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix: "His daughter, Brittney, was 16, and his son, Justin, was 14, when he was killed. They have spent more than half of their adult lives without their father." Karen shared how her brother never had the chance to participate in key milestones in his children's lives and described the execution as the "final chapter," though the family's healing process continues.
Questions have been raised regarding the state's readiness to carry out executions following a review hiatus and concerns about transparency and execution procedures. Former Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs had put executions on hold to address these concerns and an independent commissioner was appointed but later dismissed before concluding their review. Despite these concerns, Gunches had for years submitted written motions to the court to set an execution date, with one motion stating, "This sentence is long overdue and should not be delayed any further," as The Washington Post highlighted.
Executions in Arizona were paused after a problematic lethal injection in 2014, where the inmate gasped hundreds of times before dying. The state resumed executions with updated guidelines, assuring that the process would be handled with care. The execution of Gunches follows these new protocols to prevent a repeat of the past issues.
