Arizona man who poured gasoline on a victim and ignited him executed

Execution of Arizona Man for Murder

An Arizona man, Leroy Dean McGill, was executed on Wednesday after being convicted of murder for dousing a man in gasoline and igniting him. This marks the first of three executions scheduled this week in the U.S.

McGill, aged 53, was pronounced dead at 10:26 a.m. PDT following a lethal injection at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. In 2002, he was found guilty of killing James Perez during an incident at his north Phoenix apartment. At the time of the attack, McGill was reportedly under the influence of methamphetamine and had gone days without sleep. He not only set Perez on fire but also doused Perez’s girlfriend, Nova Banta, with gasoline.

While Banta managed to survive, unfortunately, Perez succumbed to his injuries. During the trial, Banta recounted how McGill threatened them prior to the assault, expressing concerns about their conversations.

Witnesses to the execution said McGill appeared calm and even smiled before the procedure began, reportedly saying, “I’m going home soon.” After receiving the lethal injection, witnesses noted he started breathing heavily and snoring before being pronounced dead about 21 minutes later.

This execution process appeared to go smoothly, especially after Arizona faced criticism in 2022 when difficulties were reported in administering a lethal injection. A media witness observed no trouble finding veins for the intravenous line, and an official commented that the execution proceeded as planned. McGill’s last words expressed gratitude towards those present.

Arizona Attorney General Chris Mays emphasized the importance of the execution, mentioning thoughts of the victim’s family after McGill’s death. During the sentencing phase, the defense team cited McGill’s difficult upbringing and mental health struggles, but the jury opted for the death penalty instead.

McGill was executed as the 12th inmate in the U.S. this year, with additional executions planned soon in Tennessee and Florida. This comes after Arizona resumed capital punishment in 2022 following an extended pause due to issues surrounding lethal injection protocols.