Aaron Brian Gunches, a 53-year-old Arizona death row inmate, has filed a motion with the state Supreme Court requesting an expedited execution date. Convicted in the 2002 murder of his girlfriend's ex-husband, Ted Price, Gunches has pleaded guilty and now seeks to forgo standard legal procedures to hasten his execution by lethal injection.
Gunches, representing himself in the legal proceedings, submitted a handwritten filing urging the court to schedule his execution for mid-February. He argues that his sentence is "long overdue" and that the state's request for a legal briefing schedule is unnecessarily prolonging the process. This execution would mark Arizona's first use of capital punishment since a two-year hiatus implemented to review execution protocols.
Attorney General Kris Mayes' office, however, maintains that a briefing schedule is essential to ensure that the Department of Corrections adheres to all execution requirements. These include critical steps like testing the pentobarbital intended for the lethal injection. This isn't Gunches' first attempt to expedite his execution. Two years prior, he petitioned the Supreme Court to issue his execution warrant, citing the need for justice and closure for the victim's family.
Gunches' execution was initially slated for April 2023. However, Governor Katie Hobbs' office postponed it, citing the state's lack of preparedness to carry out the death penalty due to a shortage of qualified personnel. Hobbs had previously pledged to halt executions until she was confident the state could conduct them legally. This led to a review process that effectively concluded in November with the dismissal of the retired federal magistrate judge appointed to lead it.
Arizona, with 111 inmates currently on death row, last carried out executions in 2022, putting three inmates to death. This followed an eight-year pause prompted by criticism of a problematic 2014 execution and difficulties procuring lethal injection drugs. The state has since faced further scrutiny over the time taken to administer IVs for lethal injections.
