PHOENIX — A prisoner set for execution next week marks Arizona’s first use of the death penalty in over two years, but he will not seek a reprieve from his sentence.
Aaron Brian Gunches, 53, is expected to forgo participation in an upcoming hearing before the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency, officially waiving his right to request clemency.
Scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on March 19, Gunches was convicted of murdering Ted Price, his girlfriend’s ex-husband, in 2002 near Mesa, Arizona.
Though not legally trained, Gunches attempted last year to expedite his execution, claiming his death sentence was “long overdue.” This request was denied by Arizona’s highest court.
In a recent filing dated February 20, Gunches reiterated his absence from the upcoming hearing, referencing a previous virtual appearance where he confirmed a clemency waiver made in 2022.
“My position has not changed,” he stated in the filing.
The Arizona Supreme Court issued a death warrant for Gunches nearly two years ago; however, the execution was delayed as the state’s attorney general paused executions while reviewing the death penalty protocol. That review concluded in November when the governor dismissed a federal magistrate judge responsible for examining execution procedures.
Arizona currently has 112 prisoners on death row. The last executions occurred in 2022 after an almost eight-year halt due to concerns over a botched 2014 execution and challenges in obtaining execution drugs.
State officials have faced criticism for delays in administering lethal injections, leading to the formation of a larger team specifically tasked with this aspect of the execution process.
The Arizona Legislature is evaluating a proposal that, if passed, would allow voters in 2026 to decide on replacing lethal injection with a firing squad as the state’s method of execution.
Death row inmates whose crimes occurred before November 23, 1992, currently have the option between lethal injection or a gas chamber, which was refurbished in 2020 after being unused since 1999.
For those who do not choose a method or whose crimes were committed after the 1992 date, lethal injection is the default execution method. The proposed ballot measure aims to retain lethal gas as an option for eligible inmates.
