Death row inmate Aaron Brian Gunches calls on state to stop his execution

Self-represented Arizona death row inmate Aaron Brian Gunches has asked the state to schedule his execution for February, earlier than state officials had planned.

Gunches pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in 2008 for the 2002 killing of Ted Price, the ex-husband of Gunches’ girlfriend at the time. After an error was discovered in his original conviction, a jury sentenced Gunches to death again in 2013, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Arizona Attorney General Kristin Mayes filed a request with the Arizona Supreme Court in December to set a schedule for the execution, which will be done by lethal injection. Once the chemical, in this case pentobarbital, is mixed, it can be used for 90 days.

Gunches asked rhetorically in a filing Tuesday “why is AG Mayes’ motion necessary?” “It’s unnecessary and just ‘foot dragging’ on the part of the state,” adding that the new director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry is using the same lab and facilities. drugs than its predecessor.

For this reason, Gunches asked the Arizona Supreme Court to issue a new execution order on Thursday and put him to death on February 14.

“This sentence is long overdue and should not be delayed any further. May Arizona’s laws finally be respected and justice served,” Gunches concluded.

In his response to Gunches’ request submitted Thursday, Attorney General Mayes wrote “the State explained in its initial motion that a briefing schedule is important to ensure that ADCRR can meet all requirements related to the ‘enforcement such as disclosure and testing obligations regarding the pentobarbital compound that will be used,’ and reiterated its request for a briefing schedule.

Gunches had already filed his own death warrant in 2022, which former state Attorney General Mark Brnovich joined shortly before leaving office. New Attorney General Kris Mayes suspended executions in 2023 to review procedures, leading Gunches to withdraw his request.

Gov. Katie Hobbs then ordered an independent review of how Arizona carried out executions, which effectively ended in November when the judge she asked to lead the review was removed from office, according to the ‘Associated Press.