An Arizona death row killer executed Wednesday for throwing gasoline on a man and his girlfriend and setting them on fire used his final words to thank “everyone” for being “so nice and helpful.”
Leroy Dean McGill received a lethal injection at the Arizona State Prison Complex and was pronounced dead at 10:26 a.m. local time after being sentenced to death for sacrificing Charles Perez and severely burning his girlfriend in a north Phoenix apartment in July 2002.
Before being sent to his death, McGill, 63, ate his last meal of onion rings, bread and butter, chocolate cake and a green salad. Fox10 Phoenix reported.
He smiled and nodded at witnesses — including an Associated Press reporter who at one point heard the arsonist say “I’ll be home soon” before giving the injection.
After being administered a fatal dose of pentobarbital, McGill began breathing heavily and making grunting noises. About 21 minutes later, he was pronounced dead.
His last words were “I just want to thank everyone for being so helpful and kind,” according to John Barcelo, deputy director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.
McGill threw gasoline on Perez and his girlfriend, Nova Banta, while they were sitting on the couch in their apartment on July 13, 2002.
Perez and Banta-McGill are accused of snatching a gun from the apartment before starting the deadly fire. McGill said he was using methamphetamine and had not slept for several days at that time.
Banta survived the horrific attack with third-degree burns to three-quarters of her body. Perez later died in hospital in severe pain, prosecutors said.
Jurors deliberated for less than an hour before returning McGill’s murder conviction in October 2024. He was also found guilty of a slew of charges, including attempted murder, arson and endangering apartment residents who fled the apartment building as the flames quickly spread.
His lawyers asked for leniency for McGill, presenting evidence that he had been abused as a child and suffered from a mental disability and psychological immaturity.
This spring, his legal team made a last-ditch effort to re-sentence McGill, but the lower court judge rejected the offer.
McGill’s execution is the first of three scheduled for this week. Both Tennessee and Florida are scheduled to carry out executions on Thursday.
With mail wires