Arizona to Execute Man Convicted in Brutal 2002 Gasoline Attack
Arizona to Execute Man Convicted in Brutal 2002 Gasoline Attack
Leroy Dean McGill is scheduled for execution today for a horrific 2002 murder in Phoenix. Explore the details of the case and the final steps of the legal process.
Leroy Dean McGill, a 63-year-old Arizona prisoner, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. This marks the first of three planned executions across the United States this week. McGill was convicted for the brutal July 2002 murder of Charles Perez.
The incident occurred in a north Phoenix apartment where authorities say McGill doused Perez and his girlfriend, Nova Banta, with gasoline before lighting a match. The attack was reportedly triggered by accusations that McGill had stolen a gun from the residence. At the time of the crime, McGill was under the influence of methamphetamine and had been awake for several days.
While Banta miraculously survived the assault, she suffered third-degree burns over 75% of her body. Perez, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital after what prosecutors described as extreme pain. During the 2004 trial, Banta testified against McGill, identifying him as the attacker who warned them not to "speak ill of others" before igniting the fire.
Jurors took less than an hour to convict McGill of murder, attempted murder, arson, and endangerment. After more than two decades on death row, the state is moving forward with the sentence using a lethal injection of pentobarbital.
