Arizona death row prisoner Aaron Brian Gunches, who is representing himself, has asked the state to schedule his execution for February, ahead of when state officials were aiming for.

Gunches pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in 2008 for the 2002 killing of Ted Price, the ex-husband of Gunches’ girlfriend at the time. After an error was found in his initial sentencing, a jury sentenced Gunches to death again in 2013, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Arizona Attorney General Kristin Mayes filed to the Arizona Supreme Court in December to set a schedule for the execution, which will be carried out by lethal injection. After the chemical, in this case pentobarbital, is compounded it can be used for 90 days afterwards.

Gunches rhetorically asked in a filing Tuesday “why is AG Mayes motion necessary? It is pointless and just more ‘foot dragging’ by the state,” adding that the new Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry director is using the same lab and same drugs that their predecessor did.

Because of that, Gunches asked the Arizona Supreme Court to issue a new death warrant on Thursday, and to have him put to death on Feb. 14.

“This sentence is long overdue and should not be delayed any further. Let the laws of Arizona finally be followed and justice served,” Gunches concluded.

In her response to Gunches’ request submitted Thursday, Attorney General Mayes wrote “the state explained in its original motion that a briefing schedule is important to ensure ADCRR can meet all execution-related requirements such as disclosure and testing obligations regarding the compounded pentobarbital that will be used,” and reiterated her request for a briefing schedule.

Gunches previously filed his own death warrant in 2022, which was joined by former state Attorney General Mark Brnovich shortly before he left office. Incoming and current Attorney General Kris Mayes put a hold on executions in 2023 to review procedures, leading Gunches to withdraw his request. 

Gov. Katie Hobbs then ordered an independent review of how Arizona carried out executions, which effectively ended in November when the judge she ordered to lead the review was dismissed according to The Associated Press.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.