Death penalty case status in Pima County

TUCSON, Arizona (13 News) – It’s been years since anyone was sentenced to death in Pima County.

Since 1976, 40 people have been executed in Arizona, including 12 for crimes in Pima and Cochise counties.

The death penalty has been suspended since early 2023, when Governor Katie Hobbs ordered a review of the protocols.

But if and when that ban is lifted, her office will not require it, said Pima County Attorney Laura Conover.

“The death penalty is another deeply flawed and failed system. It is the most expensive tool possible that, frankly, produces the least results. And not only that. No matter how hard this humane system has tried, a national report two years ago reaffirmed that it is inherently racist,” Conover said.

Former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich disagrees.

“I have always believed that those who commit the worst crimes deserve the worst punishment. That's the promise I made to the people of Arizona when I ran for attorney general, that I would enforce the law. Frankly, I think if someone works as a prosecutor and doesn't want to enforce the law, doesn't want the death penalty, then they should probably find another job or run for parliament,” Brnovich said.

Brnovich said executions give families a sense of closure, like that of a murder victim. Vicki Lynne Hoskinson.

“I was there when people like Debbie Carlson from Tucsonwhen she had to spend decades waiting for justice for the pedophile who brutally murdered her young daughter. I remember crying a lot with Debbie Carlson after the execution of Vicki Lynn's killer and her thanking me because she said there was finally closure and finally justice for Vicki Lynn,” Brnovich said.

But Conover said in her experience, seeking death can be a long, drawn-out process.

“They never stop, they always go on, and the truth is you have to tell the families that this case will probably outlive you,” she said. “That if there is an execution, it will probably be after you are in this world. And that is also a very painful discussion.”

Conover said she has found that her method saves taxpayers money. But what about the cost of housing an inmate for the rest of his life?

“It's extraordinary, and I don't want to oversimplify it, but you're paying the daily costs of prison either way. If you're going for the death penalty, you're paying exorbitant, never-ending legal costs on top of life imprisonment, and so you can see the waste very easily and clearly,” Conover said.

It is possible that the Arizona Attorney General's Office will again call for the execution of those sentenced to death in the first quarter of 2025.

Be sure to subscribe to 13 News’ YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@13newskold

All rights reserved.