Latest news with #ADCRR
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Man charged in deadly Goodyear group home stabbing once spent time in prison for manslaughter
The Brief We sat down with the family of a Native American man who was stabbed to death in a group home. Reno Caddo was 24 when he was killed at a facility in Goodyear. The suspect, Glynn Peaches, was Caddo's roommate at the facility. GOODYEAR, Ariz. - For two years, we've extensively covered the Sober Living Scheme that led to a $2 billion Medicaid scandal, with tribal members used as assets to bill the state for addiction treatment rarely provided. The Sober Living Scheme made national headlines in 2023, after people went missing and even died in certain facilities due to a lack of oversight and regulation by state agencies, stemming back to a time before the COVID-19 Pandemic. It's a scandal with repercussions still being felt by vulnerable people fighting addiction not just within Arizona, but from reservations across the country, as a majority of them are members of native tribes. In this latest report, we hear from family members of a Native American man who was stabbed to death in a group home, as they demand accountability. The backstory The deadly stabbing happened in Goodyear, at a behavioral health residential facility that looks like any other house. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house, located near Indian School Road and Falcon Drive, now sits seemingly empty. It was there on April 12, 2025 when 24-year-old Reno Caddo was killed. According to Goodyear Police, Caddo was stabbed more than 10 times by his roommate, Glynn Peaches. Peaches said he and Caddo were drinking, and Caddo was being disrespectful. Caddo, according to Peaches, later pulled a kitchen knife on him, which led to a fight for the weapon. Peaches, who is accused of first-degree murder, had previous run-ins with the law. Dig deeper According to records from the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR), Peaches, who is 45, served two decades in an Arizona prison for manslaughter. Per the records, Peaches was given the sentence on March 13, 2003. While in prison, Peaches was disciplined several times for possessing a weapon, assaulting an inmate, and disorderly conduct. He was released from prison in September 2023. As for charges filed against him in connection with Caddo's death, Peaches has pleaded not guilty. He is represented by a public defender, and the Maricopa County Office of the Public Defender has issued a statement that reads: "This is a deeply unfortunate situation that unfolded in the context of a severely mismanaged and ill-equipped group home – an environment that failed in its responsibility to protect vulnerable individuals. We look forward to receiving full discovery to better understand the circumstances leading to these charges, and to ensure that Mr. Peaches' rights are safeguarded throughout the legal process." As for the Goodyear address, officials with the Arizona Department of Health Services have it listed under "His Mercy Assisted LLC." The license was closed in November 2024. We reached out to "His Mercy Assisted," and was told the provider left the home several months ago. Days before AZDHS updated the AZ Care Check profile for this address, we saw it listed under "The Academy Behavioral Health & Wellness," an unlicensed sober living home. The owner said his company placed clients in the home on April 2, but moved out after Caddo's death. We reached out to officials with AZDHS regarding the name change, and they said there was a "data entry error and the entry has been corrected." By the numbers According to the City of Goodyear, police have received 184 calls for service related to group homes from January 2024 through May 2025. During that same timeframe, the city documented 75 unlicensed homes. However, neither the City of Goodyear nor its police department can tell us exactly how many of these properties are sober living homes or behavioral health residential facilities that are unlicensed. A spokesperson said facilities frequently change names, which makes it a challenge to classify the type of homes operating. The city currently recognizes three licensed sober living homes within the area. Meanwhile, Goodyear Police officials say there has been no increase or decrease in calls for group homes. Department officials said they are trying to improve how calls are categorized between mental health, substance abuse and other issues. It has been over a month since Caddo was killed, and his family is still searching for answers. "I was told that he got murdered," said Caddo's sister, Nekeshia. Nekeshia still has questions about the brutal attack. What Nekeshia Said "That night, I just heard they were drinking," said Nekeshia. "I don't know who got the liquor, but they were both drinking because they were in the same room." Caddo's oldest sister, Shamira, was unaware that Caddo was staying in a residential facility for behavioral health. What Shamira Said "It was a shock, definitely. I think I was still in the state of denial, and I feel like I still am in this state of denial," said Shamira. "I've seen a lot of the stories being covered, but I think I sort of came at it with an arrogant mindset of, like 'oh, that only happens to people who allow themselves to be vulnerable to that system.'" We also asked Shamira for her reaction to finding out that her brother was sharing a room with a convicted felon who spent time in prison for manslaughter. "That is reckless, you know, and it's sad because my brother paid that price for their recklessness, and there should be some justice held on their end, too," said Shamira. Shamira just wants justice for her brother, and accountability from the provider that she believes was supposed to keep him safe.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Arizona prisons director talks inmate violence, staffing and transparency
The Brief Ryan Thornell, ADCRR Director, spoke with FOX 10 on May 20 about Arizona state prisons and the changes that are being made, and the ones that still need to be made. This interview comes after violent incidents at a facility in Tucson, and although he can't speak on specifics, he says the incidents don't provide the entire picture of ADCRR. PHOENIX - A nearly three-minute-long fight at an Arizona state prison was caught on camera, and we're hearing from the man who oversees all state prisons, director Ryan Thornell, about recent prison violence. What they're saying He was unable to comment on the specifics of the case involving padlocks, or any other recent incidence of violence, but rather, he talked about potential solutions to staffing challenges and inmate violence. "I'm never going to pretend that we're perfect," Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) Director Thornell said on May 21. Video of a recent inmate-on-inmate fight involving what appears to be padlocks on straps sparked a renewed conversation about Arizona's state prison system. It's a conversation Thornell says cannot be had by just looking at videos like this one. "They do not give the whole picture of a prison environment. They don't give the whole picture of the complexities at hand, and they really don't serve the purpose of helping what we're doing," Thornell said. What ADCRR is doing, Thornell says, is "reimagining corrections." It's an approach born from public and internal input. Staffing & Pay One area Thornell acknowledges that needs improvement is staffing. The department reports a correctional officer vacancy rate of nearly 18% last year, with a regrettable attrition rate of 72%. "Staffing is our number one challenge. Some of it is the dynamics of corrections, right, obviously an uptick in violence drives some staff out. An uptick in drugs being trafficked in through the mail or other things or being exposed to those substances drives staff out, but pay is also a big factor," Thornell said. The department has implemented high-risk pay and increased overtime, but Thornell says additional funding would likely take away from other areas. That's where the state budget comes into play with ADCRR proposing a 15% salary increase for correctional officers. "What it really boils down to is, where does it get prioritized in the overall budget negotiations? That's what we all sit on the edge of our seat waiting to find out," Thornell said. The other side Arizona Rep. Quang Nguyen says he's ramping up investigations into prison violence and is requesting more documentation from Thornell. "We want to make sure that whatever he's doing is based on policy and not on ideology, but I'm a little concerned about his way of handling things," Rep. Nguyen said. The lawmaker says the recent padlock fight video showcases a lack of intervention and a risk of further safety issues. "His job … he's got one job," he said. "Providing safety to staff and inmates." Thornell argues the necessary support for real change goes beyond just his position. "If anything can come from some of this attention right now, it's to give people a better awareness. It's going to take more powers beyond me, it's going to take more resources beyond what I have to really solve this problem long-term," Tornell said. He says the department is rolling out body-worn cameras in state prisons as a way to maintain transparency. He says current staffing is stable, meaning there are enough new recruits to replace the staff leaving the department.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arizona executes Aaron Gunches, first execution in a Dem-run state since 2017
An Arizona man has been executed following his first-degree murder conviction in 2008. Aaron Gunches, 53, was pronounced dead following the administration of lethal injection at 10:33 a.m. MST Wednesday at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. Gunches pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Ted Price, his girlfriend's ex-husband, in the desert outside the Phoenix suburb of Mesa in 2002. "The process went according to plan, without any incident at all," Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) Deputy Director John Barcello said in a post-execution media conference. Barcello said Gunches did not put up "any sort of resistance." When the death row inmate was asked if he had any last words, Barcello said Gunches shook his head, "no." Arizona Death Row Inmate Wants To Be Executed Earlier Than The State Is Planning Gunches' final meal included a double western bacon cheeseburger with fries, a spicy gyro, a barbecue gyro, onion rings and baklava, Barcello said. He did not elect to have a spiritual advisor present with him during the execution process. Read On The Fox News App Gunches appealed his death sentencing in 2016, according to the ADCRR, but "the Supreme Court of the State of Arizona affirmed the conviction," a statement said. Killer Lori Vallow, 'Doomsday Mom,' Says Jesus Spoke To Her In Spiritual Vision, Showed Her Prison Release Gunches' execution is the first in the state in more than two years. He is the first person executed in a state with a Democrat serving as governor since Virginia did so in 2017, when Terry McAuliffe was in charge, according to The Associated Press. Gunches' execution had originally been scheduled for April 2023, but was called off after Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs ordered a review of the state's death penalty procedures. Late last year, Hobbs fired the retired judge she had appointed to conduct the review, and the state's corrections department announced changes in the team that lethally injects death row prisoners. "The Department is confident in both the quality and quantity of its pentobarbital supply," ADCRR said in a statement. "Appropriate testing occurred earlier this year, including a quantitative chemical analysis, which has been provided to Mr. Gunches, confirming a sufficient concentration of pentobarbital in the compounded solution. Additionally, sterility testing on the compounded pentobarbital was completed earlier this year, providing verification of the drug's beyond use date. The results of this testing have also been provided to Mr. Gunches," the statement said. Gunches is the second of four death row prisoners in the United States executed this week. Louisiana executed a man on Tuesday and two more executions are scheduled in Florida and Oklahoma on Thursday. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: Arizona executes Aaron Gunches, first execution in a Dem-run state since 2017
Fox News
19-03-2025
- Fox News
Arizona executes Aaron Gunches, first execution in a Dem-run state since 2017
An Arizona man has been executed following his first-degree murder conviction in 2008. Aaron Gunches, 53, was pronounced dead following the administration of lethal injection at 10:33 a.m. MST Wednesday at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. Gunches pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Ted Price, his girlfriend's ex-husband, in the desert outside the Phoenix suburb of Mesa in 2002. "The process went according to plan, without any incident at all," Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) Deputy Director John Barcello said in a post-execution media conference. Barcello said Gunches did not put up "any sort of resistance." When the death row inmate was asked if he had any last words, Barcello said Gunches shook his head, "no." Gunches' final meal included a double western bacon cheeseburger with fries, a spicy gyro, a barbecue gyro, onion rings and baklava, Barcello said. He did not elect to have a spiritual advisor present with him during the execution process. Gunches appealed his death sentencing in 2016, according to the ADCRR, but "the Supreme Court of the State of Arizona affirmed the conviction," a statement said. Gunches' execution is the first in the state in more than two years. He is the first person executed in a state with a Democrat serving as governor since Virginia did so in 2017, when Terry McAuliffe was in charge, according to The Associated Press. Gunches' execution had originally been scheduled for April 2023, but was called off after Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs ordered a review of the state's death penalty procedures. Late last year, Hobbs fired the retired judge she had appointed to conduct the review, and the state's corrections department announced changes in the team that lethally injects death row prisoners. "The Department is confident in both the quality and quantity of its pentobarbital supply," ADCRR said in a statement. "Appropriate testing occurred earlier this year, including a quantitative chemical analysis, which has been provided to Mr. Gunches, confirming a sufficient concentration of pentobarbital in the compounded solution. Additionally, sterility testing on the compounded pentobarbital was completed earlier this year, providing verification of the drug's beyond use date. The results of this testing have also been provided to Mr. Gunches," the statement said. Gunches is the second of four death row prisoners in the United States executed this week. Louisiana executed a man on Tuesday and two more executions are scheduled in Florida and Oklahoma on Thursday.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
Aaron Gunches: Here's what to know about the man who is set to be executed for murder
PHOENIX - On March 19, Arizona is set to carry out its first execution since late 2022. This time, the person who is set to be executed was found guilty of a murder that happened decades ago. Here's what to know about Aaron Gunches, as well as the death penalty in Arizona. Aaron Gunches was sentenced to death for the murder of Ted Price in 2002. What we know Price, according to the Associated Press, was the ex-husband of Gunches's girlfriend at the time. ADCRR's website states that Price was found shot to death on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, near Mesa. Per a June 2010 court document that is related to the case, the incident happened in 2002. Price had planned to stay at his ex-wife's apartment while waiting for a school grant, but the two began fighting, and Price was told to leave after about 10 days. Price, according to court documents, was initially taken to a bus station, but was later taken to a remote part of the desert, and shot. Price's body was discovered several days after the incident. As for Gunches, officials with ADCRR said he was pulled over by a DPS officer near the California state line in January 2003. The DPS officer was shot twice by Gunches, but suffered minor injuries. Ultimately, Gunches was arrested following a manhunt that included over 50 officers. "Bullet casings found near Price's body matched the gun Gunches used to shoot Officer Flannery," read a portion of the ADCRR's website. Gunches pleaded guilty to kidnapping and first-degree murder. Gunches has been at the center of a long legal saga following Ted Price's murder. Timeline Per a 2022 Associated Press article, Gunches was originally sentenced to death in 2008. However, the state's Supreme Court found an error in the sentencing proceeding, and ordered a new sentencing. Gunches, according to the article, was once again sentenced to death in 2013. In November 2022, Gunches filed a request for his own death warrant with the state's Supreme Court, but he later withdrew that request, stating that he did not know that Kris Mayes, who won election for Arizona Attorney General in the 2022 election, had stated her intentions of "pausing" executions in Arizona. After she took office as Attorney General, Mayes tried to withdraw a request for Gunches' death warrant that was filed by her predecessor, Mark Brnovich. The court, however, refused the request. While a death warrant was ultimately granted, Governor Katie Hobbs said her administration would not carry out an execution, and a review of the state's death penalty protocol was conducted. The review ended in November when Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs dismissed the retired federal magistrate judge she had appointed to examine execution procedures. On Feb. 11, 2025, another execution warrant was issued for Gunches. On Mar. 10, it was reported that Gunches passed on a chance to ask for a reprieve by not taking part in a hearing before the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency. Under Arizona law, lethal injection is the only method of execution for those who are sentenced to death for a crime that was committed before Nov. 23, 1992. What The Law States "The penalty of death shall be inflicted by an intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death, under the supervision of the state department of corrections," per the relevant portion of the Arizona Revised Statutes. For those sentenced to death for crimes committed before Nov. 23, 1992, state law allows them to choose between lethal injection or lethal gas at least 20 days before they're set to be executed. Lethal injection remains the default for those who fail to choose between the two. Dig deeper Per ADCRR records, the most recent execution that was carried out using lethal gas was that of Walter Burnhart LaGrand in March 1999. The AP reported that Walter and his brother, Karl, both chose lethal gas in hopes that courts would find the method unconstitutional. While Karl ultimately accepted the state's last-minute offer of lethal injection, Walter rejected it, saying he would prefer a more painful execution to protest the death penalty. The AP reported that the case drew widespread criticism in Germany, which has no death penalty, and prompted repeated diplomatic protests. There remains a certain level of controversy surrounding execution by lethal gas in Arizona, with the AP noting that the state's refurbishment of the gas chamber in 2021 sparked international condemnation, including news coverage in Israel and Germany that drew parallels to Holocaust atrocities. By the numbers Per ADCRR's page on death row, there are 112 inmates on death row in Arizona, and that number includes Gunches. Of the 112 death row inmates, 63 of them (56.25%) are classified by the agency as white, while another 23 (20.53%) inmates are classified as Mexican Americans, followed by 17 (15.18%) inmates who are classified as Black. The vast majority of those on Arizona's death row are men, with only three women death row inmates. The last execution carried out in Arizona happened on Nov. 16, 2022. The state executed Murray Hooper, a man who was found guilty of killing two people in a Phoenix home in 1980. Two other executions also took place in 2022: Clarence Dixon on May 11 and Frank Atwood on June 8. Prior to Dixon's execution, the state had a nearly eight-year hiatus in its use of the death penalty. Arizona had a years-long hiatus in carrying out a death sentence, and that happened after the execution of Joseph Woods in 2014. Dig deeper Wood's lawyers claim his execution was botched. Per an AP reporter's account of the execution, it took almost two hours for the execution to be completed, and Wood was gasping for more than an hour and a half of that time. Since Wood's execution, it has been reported that states have found it increasingly difficult to secure lethal injection drugs. Due to protests and lawsuits, the companies that made reliable death penalty drugs stopped selling them to prisons. In March 2021, we reported that officials with ADCRR said the agency is ready to start executions again.
