Remembering Ted Price after his killer, Aaron Gunches, was put to death
PHOENIX - After nearly 23 years, the Arizona man who murdered Ted Price was put to death by lethal injection.
Little has been told about the 40-year-old victim who was shot to death in the desert.
Ted would have been 63 on March 19, the date his killer, Aaron Gunches, was put to death.
Aaron Gunches: Arizona executes man who murdered girlfriend's ex
After a years-long hiatus, executions have resumed in Arizona after Aaron Gunches was put to death. Gunches was given the death penalty in connection with a 2002 murder.
The backstory:
Ted was a son, brother, uncle and father.
His sister, Karen Price, was at the execution and shared how she wants Ted to be remembered.
"His daughter, Brittney, was 16, and his son, Justin, was 14, when he was killed. They have spent more than half of their adult lives without their father," Karen said.
He had a whole life ahead of him. From fulfilling his dream of becoming a radiology technician, to raising his two children.
Karen is one of Ted's three sisters who had a close bond with him growing up in Utah.
His violent death in the Arizona desert left a hole in her heart.
"Ted never got to walk Brittney down the aisle when she married John. He never met … he never witnessed Justin join the Marine Corps or celebrated Justin's marriage to his fiancée, Jamie," Karen said.
She describes her brother as a charming and friendly person who had a passion for sports and music.
"He enjoyed watching the Phoenix Suns and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He enjoyed playing his guitar, driving his motorcycle and muscle cars, and he had a special affection for cats. He never met a cat he didn't like, and they always loved him," Karen said.
What we know:
Karen says her brother's plan was to move in with his ex-girlfriend of ten years temporarily until student housing opened for a radiology school in Arizona.
"Ted, when he returned, was shocked to discover that her home had turned into a drug house where users gathered and drugs were sold. He witnessed Katherine using meth with her teenage daughter in front of her young son. Ted confronted her and threatened to report her to the authorities," Karen said.
This led to a fight where Ted's ex allegedly hit him with a phone.
His ex's roommates then forced him into a car with Aaron Gunches. They drove him to the desert where Gunches shot Ten four times on Nov. 14, 2002.
"Ted was killed for doing the right thing. A senseless crime that robbed the world of a genuinely kind man," Karen said.
A kind man whose body wasn't found until 23 days later on Dec. 10, 2002.
"Nothing will ever bring Ted back," Karen said. "So, we've had no choice but to move forward without him."
Karen describes March 19's execution as the final chapter. However, she says the journey of healing for her and her family is far from over.