The mother of a man murdered by an Arizona death row inmate has revealed the heartwrenching reason why she never wanted her son’s killer to be executed.
Aaron Gunches, 53, was convicted of murdering 40-year-old Ted Price in 2002 and was sentenced to death in 2008.
Price had been turning his life around when he was tragically killed, his sister, Karen Price, revealed, per The Independent.
After spending time in Utah pursuing an education to become a radiology technician, Price decided to return to Arizona to continue his studies at a faster pace. The move required him to live with his ex-girlfriend, who was dating Gunches at the time.
The ex agreed the two could live together. However, when Price arrived, he discovered that she had developed a methamphetamine addiction and was now living in a home for drug addicts.
“Ted did not involve himself with those kinds of activities,” Karen told USA Today. “He probably showed up and was like, ‘What the heck? This is not acceptable.’”
According to his family, Price may have threatened to call Child Protective Services after witnessing his ex using meth with her 14-year-old daughter. His concern for the children may have led to a violent confrontation.
Price and his ex-girlfriend argued, and Gunches later became involved. The situation ended when Gunches drove Price into the desert near Mesa and shot him four times.
Since his conviction, Gunches had been advocating for his own execution. He pleaded guilty to the murder and waived his right to a clemency hearing.
He was executed on March 19 by lethal injection at a prison facility in Florence, Arizona - 23 years after the crime.
Within two minutes of his execution, witnesses observed the drugs taking effect. Gunches exhaled loudly several times before his body became still and the color gradually faded from his face, per AZ Central.
At 10:22AM, a medical team member checked his pulse, and the room remained silent for nearly 10 minutes until an official confirmed his death over the intercom.
For Karen, this wasn’t the punishment her family wanted. “We wanted that man in solitary confinement,” she said. “He ought to suffer. He ought to be the most miserable human being on the face of the Earth for what he did to our brother.”
Price Tueller, the mother of Price, said she feels like Gunches wanted to be executed "because he’s tired of being on death row," adding: "I don’t want him executed. I want him to suffer."
Price was described as a quiet and kind person. His loved ones remember him for his gentle nature and desire to help others.
“He treated everybody with kindness, he was fun, he was funny,” his other sister, Sheila Banaszek, shared. “When he had a chance to reinvent himself, he chose the medical field because he wanted to help people.”
Gunches’s execution was Arizona’s first since 2022. In 2023, Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs paused all executions, citing concerns about the state’s execution procedures.
However, she reversed the decision in 2024, just three days after Donald Trump won the presidential election. Shortly after returning to office, the 78-year-old signed an executive order directing the attorney general to assist states in carrying out executions.
Speaking at the post-execution briefing, Karen admitted she struggled to find the words to fully express what the execution of her brother’s killer meant to her family. However, she stated that she believed justice had been served.
She thanked everyone who had helped her family navigate the long and difficult legal process. She also reflected on the impact of her brother’s murder, noting that his two children have now spent more than half their lives without their father.