Execution Date Set for Arizona Inmate Who Says His Death Sentence Is 'Long Overdue'

Attorney General Kris Mays recently revealed the state's Supreme Court issued a warrant of execution for Aaron Brian Gunches after Arizona ended its pause on the death penalty.

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Gunches pleaded guilty to murder after shooting his girlfriend's ex-husband, Ted Price, in 2002.
After almost 20 years in prison, Gunches told the Associated Press that his death, which is scheduled for March, was "long overdue." 

Mays discussed the court's decision in a press conference.
"We have worked with ADCRR throughout its process to carefully review and improve the state's death penalty procedures, and I am confident that executions can now proceed in compliance with state and federal law," she said in a statement.

Gunches didn't fight to prove his innocence and accepted the consequences of his choices.
"Gunches pled guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping for [Ted] Price's death," Mays noted. "In a separate case out of La Paz County, Gunches pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of an Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper."

Arizona's use of the death penalty has become a controversial topic, but the attorney general stood by the court's decision.
"This is not a decision that I have made lightly, but the death penalty is the law in our state, and it is my job to uphold it," Mayes stated. "The family of Ted Price has waited for over 22 to years for justice in this case, and I am committed to ensuring that justice is served."

Gunches represented himself in the trial, but the advisory board still assigned Marci Kratter to assist him.
"Gunches and I would get into fights every day of his trial," Kratter told Arizona Mirror.
"It should never have been a death trial," Kratter added.

Kratter was left frustrated by the defendant.
"He did nothing to help himself," she stressed. "Absolutely nothing."