FLORENCE, Ariz. — An Arizona man convicted of kidnapping and murdering his girlfriend’s ex-husband was executed on Wednesday, marking the second of four scheduled executions in the United States for this week.
The man, identified as Aaron Brian Gunches, aged 53, received a lethal injection of pentobarbital at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. He was declared dead at 10:33 a.m., as confirmed by John Barcello, deputy director of the state’s Department of Corrections.
Gunches was found guilty of murdering Ted Price in 2002 when he shot him in a desert area near Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in 2007.
During the execution, Gunches lay on a gurney dressed in what appeared to be a white outfit and was covered with a sheet. Witnesses observed that he did not speak any final words before the procedure.
Barcello noted that the inmate exhibited labored breathing and emitted a snoring-like sound following the injection.
“Everything proceeded according to the established protocol without any issues,” Barcello stated.
Gunches’ execution was initially slated for April 2023 but faced a delay when Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs ordered a review of the state’s capital punishment procedures. The appointment of a retired judge to oversee this review was later rescinded by the governor, prompting revisions in the execution team.
The lethal injection was administered through IVs placed in Gunches’ arms, differing from previous instances where the IV was inserted into the prisoner’s femoral artery. Witnesses from the media did not report any visible complications during the process.
Dale Baich, a former federal public defender and a professor of death penalty law at Arizona State University, who witnessed the execution, opined that Gunches experienced pulmonary edema, where fluids enter the lungs, creating a drowning sensation.
“The deep breaths and sounds heard are indicative of pulmonary edema,” Baich explained. “Despite appearances, it was not peaceful for Gunches.”
On the eve of his execution, Gunches chose a double western bacon cheeseburger, two sandwiches, fries, onion rings, and baklava for his final meal.
This execution follows that of another inmate in Louisiana earlier this week, with others pending in Florida and Oklahoma. Significantly, Arizona became the first state under Democratic governance to carry out an execution since Virginia in 2017.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes remarked on Wednesday that the Price family had awaited justice for over twenty years.
Ted Price’s sister, Karen Price, recounted her brother’s kind nature and love for sports and motorcycles. She expressed grief over Ted’s absence and the impact of witnessing the execution.
“Closure is an inadequate term for our reality,” she said, acknowledging the end of a prolonged legal journey. “Though relieved to no longer engage with legal professionals or media, the profound loss of Ted lingers.”
Ted’s daughter, Brittney Price, shared how revisiting her father’s demise profoundly affected her family. “Today closes a painful chapter,” she said.
The incident stemmed from a domestic dispute in late 2002 when Price’s ex-wife hit him during a conflict. Gunches, arriving later, had Price transported to a bus station but ended up directing a drive to a desert location, where he shot Price, authorities reported.
Gunches was apprehended in early 2003 after shooting a trooper, an act connected to Price’s murder by matching bullet casings.
Although expressing a desire for closure for Price’s family, Gunches initially requested an execution warrant, later withdrawing it. Persisting in his quest for execution, he cited the overdue nature of his death sentence. The court established his execution date, but he did not engage in any clemency efforts or address Price’s family during the execution.
Gunches refrained from participating in a clemency review meeting, maintaining his stance from his 2022 decision. “My position remains unchanged,” he wrote.