On the eve of his scheduled execution, a vigil for Aaron Gunches was held at St. Mary's Basilica in downtown Phoenix. The gathering, organized by the Diocese of Phoenix, brought together parishioners and clergy to pray not just for Gunches but also for the victims of his crime and the broader abolition of the death penalty. "We first need to pray for victims. A crime has taken place and people have been suffering as a result of the loss of life. But, also recognizing that every person, no matter the crime they've committed, deserves a chance at redemption," Father Estevan Wetzel, director of prison ministries for the Diocese of Phoenix, told FOX 10 Phoenix.
For years, Gunches had fought to speed up his execution for the murder of Ted Price, his girlfriend's ex-husband. Gunches, who admitted his guilt, has said that his death sentence was "long overdue." This sentiment was shared by the victim's family, who expressed their desire for the sentence to be carried out. However, their wait was extended as the state delayed the execution, most recently due to Governor Katie Hobbs ordering a review of Arizona's death penalty protocol—a review that concluded last November with no changes being made to execution procedures, as reported by ABC15.
The backdrop to this somber occasion is Arizona's troubled history with the death penalty. With 112 prisoners on death row, the state resumed executions in 2022 after an eight-year pause resulting from a botched execution in 2014. Improvements have been made since, including the formation of a new team tasked with the responsibility of IV insertion. Meanwhile, the state legislature is contemplating a proposal to potentially reintroduce firing squads as a method of execution via a 2026 ballot measure, a consideration that mirrors an earlier refurbishment of the gas chamber, an execution method unused since 1999.
Despite these procedural developments, the focus at St. Mary's Basilica remained firmly on the human element of capital punishment. Jose Reyes, attending the vigil, emphasized the sanctity of life, saying, "I don't necessarily want him to get off the hook. That's not what I'm praying for. What I'm praying for is just that our culture can respect life and love life, even our own life," a sentiment mirrored by Maria Chavira, who underscored the belief in the dignity of every person as a reason against the death penalty. Gunches is set to be executed at 10:00 a.m. in Florence, marking the end of a long legal and moral struggle that leaves Arizona, and perhaps the nation, grappling with the complexities of justice and mercy in equal measure.
