Arizona Schedules First Execution in Over Two Years for Aaron Gunches

The state plans to carry out the death penalty on March 19 for a man convicted of a 2002 murder, following a review of its execution protocols.

Aaron Brian Gunches, 53, was convicted in 2007 for the 2002 murder of Ted Price, his girlfriend's ex-husband, and has pleaded guilty to the crime.
Gunches also shot a state trooper twice in 2003, though the trooper survived due to a bulletproof vest; ballistic evidence linked the incidents.
Arizona paused executions in 2022 to review its death penalty procedures after facing criticism for botched and delayed executions in prior years.
The review, concluded in November 2024, led to procedural improvements aimed at ensuring compliance with legal and constitutional standards.
Gunches, representing himself, had requested an expedited execution, calling his sentence 'long overdue,' but the Arizona Supreme Court denied the request.