PHOENIX — In a significant move, Arizona prosecutors are aiming to resume the death penalty after a two-year hiatus. They have formally requested the state Supreme Court to issue an execution warrant for Aaron Brian Gunches, who was convicted of murder in 2007.
The court had previously signed a death warrant for Gunches nearly two years back, which remained unexecuted due to the decision made by the state’s Democratic attorney general at that time. The AG opted to place hold on executions while the state’s death penalty procedures underwent a review.
This review was concluded in November when Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs made the decision to dismiss the retired federal magistrate she had tasked to take a closer look at the execution protocols.
In the latest court filing, prosecutors expressed readiness to proceed with Gunches’ execution, noting that he has relinquished the opportunity for a state post-conviction review of his case and has not initiated any federal constitutional review.
Representing himself in court, Gunches, who lacks formal legal training, recently requested that the court bypass standard legal procedures to expedite his execution, claiming that his death sentence was “long overdue.” However, the state Supreme Court has subsequently denied his request.
Attempts to reach Emily Skinner, a lawyer specializing in death penalty cases who is acting as Gunches’ advisory counsel, yielded no immediate response.
Gunches had previously entered a guilty plea to a murder charge connected to the shooting of Ted Price, the ex-husband of his girlfriend, which occurred in 2002 near Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix.
Currently, Arizona holds 111 inmates on death row. The last executions in the state took place in 2022, marking a return to capital punishment after almost eight years of inactivity, which was instigated by complications arising from a botched execution in 2014 and challenges related to obtaining the necessary lethal drugs.
Criticism has continued to surround the state, particularly regarding delays in the administration of lethal injections, making the process unduly lengthy during an execution in 2022.
