FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) — An Arizona man who kidnapped and killed his girlfriend’s former husband was executed on Wednesday, marking the second of four prisoners set to be put to death this week in the United States. Aaron Brian Gunches, 53, received a lethal injection of pentobarbital at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. John Barcello, deputy director of Arizona’s department of corrections, confirmed this to news outlets. Gunches was declared dead at 10:33 a.m.
In 2002, Gunches fatally shot Ted Price in the desert near the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. He later pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in 2007. Witnesses reported that Gunches, covered in a white garment and lying on a gurney, remained silent and made no final statement before the execution. Following the injection, he took a few deep breaths and emitted a snoring-like noise.
Barcello stated that the execution proceeded smoothly as planned, without any issues. Originally scheduled for April 2023, Gunches’ execution was delayed after Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs ordered a review of the state’s death penalty procedures. The execution utilized IVs inserted in Gunches’ arms, witnessed by a few members of the media.
While the witnesses did not observe any visible problems during the execution, Dale Baich, an expert on death penalty law and former federal public defender who attended the execution, suggested that Gunches may have experienced pulmonary edema, leading to difficulty breathing. The Arizona Mirror’s Michael Kiefer, however, did not notice any signs of pulmonary edema during the process.
For his final meal, Gunches requested a double western bacon cheeseburger, two sandwiches, french fries, onion rings, and baklava for dessert. Gunches’ execution marked the second in the U.S. this week, following Louisiana’s execution the day before. Two more executions were scheduled in Florida and Oklahoma on Thursday. Arizona became the first state with a Democratic governor to carry out an execution since Virginia in 2017 under then-Governor Terry McAuliffe.
After Gunches’ execution, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes expressed that Ted Price’s family had been seeking justice for over two decades and deserved closure. Price’s sister, Karen Price, shared memories of her brother as a kind person who enjoyed sports and riding his motorcycle, and expressed devastation over his death.
“Today marks the end of a painful chapter in our lives,” said Price on Wednesday. She emphasized that the term “closure” doesn’t fully encapsulate the family’s ongoing struggle. “While we have completed the legal process, the emotional impact of losing Ted is still deeply felt and cannot be expressed adequately in words. We are relieved to no longer have to navigate legal matters, review documents, consult prison records, or engage with victims’ advocates and the media,” she explained.
Brittney Price, Ted’s daughter, expressed in a statement released to the press the toll that reliving her father’s death for over twenty years has taken on her and her family. “Today signifies the conclusion of this painful chapter, and for that, I am immensely thankful,” she stated.
The Tragic Events:
According to authorities, Ted Price’s ex-wife allegedly struck him in the face with a phone during a dispute in late 2002, leaving him disoriented but conscious. Karen Price claimed that her brother had threatened to report his ex-wife to child welfare services for using drugs in front of their children. Later, Gunches arrived at the scene and instructed two women present with his girlfriend to transport Price to a bus station. When they couldn’t afford the bus fare, they drove into the desert, where Gunches reportedly shot Price. Gunches was apprehended in January 2003 after a confrontation with an Arizona Department of Public Safety officer near the California border. During the encounter, Gunches shot the officer, who survived due to wearing a bulletproof vest. Ballistic evidence from the incident matched ammunition found near Price’s body, leading to Gunches being charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in October 2003.
Gunches’ Actions:
Despite not being a lawyer, Gunches represented himself and petitioned the Arizona Supreme Court in 2022 for an execution warrant, stating it would provide closure to Price’s family. However, he later withdrew the request. The execution date was eventually scheduled but later postponed following a review initiated by Hobbs. In a subsequent plea to the court, Gunches urged for expedited execution without legal delays, citing that his death sentence was long overdue. The court denied his request but subsequently set his execution for Wednesday.
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(Note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the state attorney general’s last name to Mayes.)
