A death penalty expert has offered insight into the chilling final act of Arizona inmate Aaron Brian Gunches as he was put to death by lethal injection.
The 53-year-old convicted killer was executed on Wednesday (March 19), for the first-degree murder of his girlfriend's ex-husband, Ted Price, in 2002.
Gunches pleaded guilty to the charge in 2007, and remained on death row until his execution at the Arizona State Prison Complex in the town of Florence.
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Medics pronounced Gunches dead at 10:33am local time on Wednesday, but before receiving the injection he was asked if he had any final words.
The inmate, who was sitting on a gurney and tucked into a sheet, looked straight ahead and made clear he had nothing more to say.
However, he did emit a noise before his death.
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Once he'd been injected with the substance that would end his life, Gunches took a few heavy breaths, then let out a snoring sound.
It's unclear if Gunches purposefully emitted this snore, but Dale Baich, a former federal public defender who teaches death penalty law at Arizona State University, has suggested it could have been involuntary.
According to the Associated Press, Baich explained that this snore noise could have been as a result of pulmonary edema, which is when fluid seeps into the lungs and effectively causes drowning.
If this was what happened to Gunches, Bainch said it would have made his death far from peaceful.
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He said: “The eight deep breaths and chest heaving, the gurgling sounds, and Mr. Gunches trying to catch his breath, are all signs of pulmonary edema. Even though it may have looked peaceful, it was not.”
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However, John Barcello, deputy director of Arizona’s department of corrections, told reporters: “By all accounts, the process went according to plan without any incident at all."
Gunches' execution on Wednesday comes after the proceedings were previously delayed in April 2023, when Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs ordered a review of the state’s death penalty procedures.
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In the wake of his death, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said the death of Gunches brought 'closure' for Price's family.
Price's sister, Karen Price, shared fond memories of her brother prior to his death, describing him as a kind and loving person who enjoyed watching the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks and riding his motorcycle.
She said: “I’d like to imagine we would be both enjoying our retirement and perhaps planning a trip together, rather than me coming here to witness the execution of a man that took his life.
“Although we’ve taken the final step in the legal process, the pain of losing Ted remains profound and cannot be conveyed in mere words. It is a relief that we no longer have to deal with lawyers, sift through documents, check prison records, or communicate with victims’ advocates or reporters."
Emily Brown