A grieving mother wants her son’s killer to face justice, and to her, the death penalty is simply not enough. The victim, Ted Price, was gruesomely murdered by Aaron Gunches in Arizona in 2002.
Price was a 40-year-old Utah native who was pursuing a degree in radiology when his life was unexpectedly cut short.
The victim had decided to finish his education at an Arizona institution. However, the only viable accommodation option at the time was to move back in with his ex-girlfriend, who was in a relationship with Gunches.
Although the situation wasn’t ideal, the victim continued to live with his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend, even going as far as taking care of his ex’s two children.
Unfortunately, living in such close quarters with his ex revealed some unhealthy habits. Price discovered that she was hooked on meth and allegedly tried to confront her concerning the example she was setting for the children.
The victim’s sister, Karen Price, later revealed that Price must have tried to contact Child Protective Services to intervene and ended up in a fight with his ex and Gunches. This ultimately led Gunches to drive Price out to a desert, where he shot him four times, killing him.
Karen also added that Price was not the kind of person to indulge in drugs and was only trying to protect the kids. “Ted did not involve himself with those kinds of activities… It makes sense that he would be willing to protect those kids, even though the relationship wasn’t the best,” she told USA Today.
Gunches pleaded guilty to murdering Price and was convicted of the crime in 2008. He has been on death row since his conviction and is set to be executed on March 19, 2025.
Even though Gunches received the maximum punishment under the law, the victim’s mother believes that it is simply not enough. She thinks death is the easy way out for her son’s murderer and still wants Gunches to suffer as much as possible.
“I feel that he wants this execution because he’s tired of being on death row. I don’t want him executed. I want him to suffer. He ought to be the most miserable human being on the face of the earth for what he did.”
Karen and Phyllis’s statements have sparked controversial reactions among several people. Some are of the opinion that they need to forgive and allow Gunches to be executed.
“The only way to find peace is through forgiveness,” one person said. “But the taxpayer monies spent on him to have clothes, food, electricity, water, outside pay phone privileges, and family to see him outweigh the injection!!” another person added.
A similar remark read, “He ain’t suffering in the clink…he should be in hell.”
On the other hand, some people are in support of Phyllis, saying that her son’s murderer should be in solitary confinement to suffer even more.
“They should take everything away from him!… Let him sit in a 2 by 4 room in solitary confinement until he dies! That’s a fair punishment !!!” this user penned.
The victim’s murderer is set to die by lethal injection at a prison facility in Florence, Arizona. He will be the first person to be executed by the state of Arizona since 2022.
