Aaron Gunches: Death warrant issued for man who killed girlfriend's ex-husband

PHOENIX - Officials with the Arizona Supreme Court say judges have granted the state government's request to issue an execution warrant for Aaron Brian Gunches.

Per a statement, March 19, 2025, has been set as the date of execution for Gunches.

Gunches did not oppose execution warrant

According to a ruling made by the Arizona Supreme Court, Gunches did not file a response opposing the state's motion for an execution warrant.

In the ruling, it is noted that the state Supreme Court has a "limited role at this stage of the proceedings," as according to current state law, the court is required to verify that an inmate's appellate and post-conviction reviews have concluded, in addition to "federal habeas corpus proceedings and habeas appellate review," when appropriate.

What they're saying:

"If so, the Court must issue a warrant authorizing the state to carry out an execution," the ruling states.

Gunches sentenced to death over 2007 murder

The issuance of a death warrant for Gunches comes just months after the Arizona Attorney General's Office announced they are moving forward with efforts to execute him.

The backstory:

Prosecutors said Gunches fatally shot his girlfriend’s ex-husband, Ted Price, in 2002. The victim’s body was later found in a desert area.

Gunches was pulled over by the Arizona Department of Public Safety near the California border in 2003 and shot a trooper twice, according to authorities. The trooper survived thanks to a bulletproof vest and bullet casings from the shooting scene matched the ones found near Price’s body.

As for Gunches, he ultimately pleaded guilty to kidnapping and killing Price and to the attempted murder of the DPS trooper, and was originally sentenced to death in 2008. In 2010, however, the Arizona Supreme Court found an error in the sentencing proceeding, and remanded Gunches’ case for new sentencing. He was sentenced to death again in 2013.

Legal drama over Gunches' impending execution

Gunches' execution has been at the center of legal drama in recent years.

Dig deeper:

In November 2022, Gunches filed a request for his own death warrant with the state's Supreme Court, but he later withdrew that request, stating that he did not know that Mayes, who won election for Arizona Attorney General that same month, had stated her intentions of "pausing" executions in Arizona.

After she took office as Attorney General, Mayes tried to withdraw a request for Gunches' death warrant that was filed by her predecessor, Mark Brnovich. The court, however, refused the request. While a death warrant was ultimately granted, Governor Katie Hobbs said her administration would not carry out an execution.