PHOENIX — Arizona is poised to conduct its first execution in over two years, as Aaron Brian Gunches, who is on death row, has opted against seeking clemency. Gunches, aged 53, did not attend a recent clemency hearing with the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency, which noted that he has formally waived his right to request a sentence commutation or a reprieve from execution.
Gunches is slated for execution on March 19 by lethal injection, following his conviction for the 2002 murder of Ted Price near Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix. Representing himself, Gunches had previously tried to expedite his execution, arguing to Arizona’s highest court that his death sentence was “long overdue.” His request was denied. Karen Price, the sister of the victim, reflected on her brother’s murder, attributing it to his intention to report Gunches’ girlfriend for drug use in front of children.
Although she is apprehensive about the execution, Karen Price hopes to put the entire legal process behind her. In a recent filing dated February 20, Gunches reiterated his desire not to attend clemency hearings, confirming his waiver initially filed in 2022. “My position has not changed,” he declared in his filing.
Two years ago, the Arizona Supreme Court issued a death warrant for Gunches, yet the sentence was postponed due to a temporary halt on executions. The state’s Democratic attorney general had paused executions to review the protocol surrounding the death penalty. This review was concluded in November last year when Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs discontinued a review of execution procedures by a retired federal magistrate judge.
Arizona, which presently has 112 death row prisoners, ended its nearly eight-year pause on executions in 2022, following previous issues with botched executions, particularly in 2014. Subsequent criticism prompted officials to reform the execution team tasked with inserting IVs into prisoners, expanding its size to prevent delays.
There is currently a legislative proposal in Arizona to potentially alter the state’s execution method. If lawmakers approve the initiative, voters will be asked in 2026 to consider replacing lethal injection with a firing squad. As it stands, Arizona death row inmates whose crimes were committed before November 23, 1992, have the option between lethal injection and the gas chamber. This chamber was refurbished in 2020 and was last used in 1999. The proposed change would maintain lethal gas as an option only for inmates whose crimes were before the 1992 date, while lethal injection would remain for those after.