Aaron Gunches, who has been on death row for more than two decades, was executed by lethal injection in Arizona earlier this month.
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According to AZ Capitol Times, Gunches was sentenced to death for the 2022 kidnapping and murder of Ted Price. On Nov. 14, 2022, he discovered his girlfriend Katherine Lecher had been in an altercation with her ex-husband, Ted Price, who had visited her earlier that day. Price was struck in the face with a telephone. He was on the floor in a daze when Gunches arrived.
Aaron Gunches, along with Lecher and her then-roommates, loaded Price into his car and allegedly intended to drop him off at a bus station. However, Gunches realized he didn’t have enough money to buy a bus ticket for Price. He and an acquaintance drove Price into the desert off the Beeline Highway. As Price exited his vehicle, Gunches took out a gun and shot him four times. Price was pronounced dead at the scene.
While speaking to police, Price’s sister claimed that Lecher was addicted to meth and was living in squator with the two children she and Price shared. On the day he was murdered, Price had allegedly threatened to call CPS on Lecher. He had accused her of neglecting the children. She then called Gunches, who was also her drug dealer, and asked him to “take care” of the situation.
Lecher was investigated, but not charged in Price’s murder. However, she was charged with child abuse for sharing drugs with her children.
While on death row, Aaron Gunches had waived all his legal appeals. He was executed on Mar. 19.
Ted Price’s Family Speaks Out About Aaron Gunches’ Execution
Meanwhile, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes spoke out on behalf of Ted Price’s family about Aaron Gunches’ execution.
“The family of Ted Price has been waiting for justice for more than two decades,” Mayes stated. “They deserve closure under a system that is more transparent, more accountable, and more faithful to our Constitution and the rule of law. Today, Arizona resumed the death penalty.”
Aaron Gunches’ execution was the first since Mayes and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell took office in 2023.
Along with Mayes’ comments, Karen Price reflected on her memories of her brother Ted.
“I searched for synonyms for the word closure,” she said. “It’s a term everyone throws around that doesn’t truly capture the reality of our situation. 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.”
She also thanked Mayes. Today marks the final chapter,” Karen added. “I genuinely hope that after today, we can finally begin to put this chapter behind us.”