Arizona to Execute Leroy Dean McGill for 2002 Murder by Arson
Arizona set to execute a prisoner for the killing of a man set on fire in 2002 attack

Image: The Star
Leroy Dean McGill, 63, is scheduled for execution in Arizona for the 2002 murder of Charles Perez, who was set on fire during an attack in a Phoenix apartment. McGill was convicted of murder and attempted murder after throwing gasoline on Perez and his girlfriend, Nova Banta, igniting them with a match. This execution is part of three planned in the U.S. this week.
- 01McGill was convicted in 2004 for the murder of Charles Perez and attempted murder of Nova Banta.
- 02Banta survived the attack but suffered severe third-degree burns over 75% of her body.
- 03The jury deliberated for less than an hour before convicting McGill.
- 04McGill's lawyers argued for leniency due to childhood abuse and mental impairment, but the jury imposed the death sentence.
- 05Arizona has 109 prisoners currently on death row.
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Leroy Dean McGill, aged 63, is set to be executed on Wednesday at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence for the murder of Charles Perez, who was killed in a brutal attack in July 2002. McGill was convicted after he threw gasoline on Perez and his girlfriend, Nova Banta, lighting them on fire during a confrontation over a stolen gun. While Banta survived with severe injuries, Perez succumbed to his burns later. At trial, Banta testified that McGill warned them against talking behind his back before igniting the flames. The jury convicted McGill of murder and attempted murder in October 2004, with deliberations lasting less than an hour. Despite his lawyers' attempts to argue for leniency based on his troubled childhood and mental health issues, the jury sentenced him to death. This execution is part of a series of three planned executions across the U.S. this week, with McGill being the first. Arizona has resumed executions after a hiatus due to controversies surrounding the administration of lethal injections, with 109 prisoners currently on death row.
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The execution of McGill may reignite discussions about the death penalty and its implications in Arizona, particularly concerning the methods of execution and the psychological effects on witnesses and families involved.
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