Arizona set to execute a prisoner for the killing of a man set on fire in 2002 attack
Arizona is set Wednesday to execute a prisoner convicted of fatally setting a man on fire over 20 years ago
www.independent.co.ukHere’s what I can share about Leroy Dean McGill based on recent publicly available reporting.
Direct answer
- Leroy Dean McGill is a convicted killer whose execution in Arizona was scheduled for May 20, 2026. Multiple outlets reported that the Arizona Supreme Court granted a warrant for his execution and that he was to be executed by lethal injection, marking the first Arizona execution of 2026. These reports also note his victims and the 2002 attack in Phoenix that led to his death sentence.[2][4][7]
Context and key details
- Incident and charges: McGill was convicted for the July 13, 2002 attack in Phoenix in which he fatally set Charles Perez on fire after throwing gasoline on him; another victim, Nova Banta, survived the assault. He was also convicted of arson and related offenses tied to that incident.[4][2]
- Legal timeline: He was sentenced to death in 2004. By 2022, reports indicate he had exhausted state and federal appeals, and in March 2026 the state filed for execution which the Arizona Supreme Court granted, setting May 20, 2026, as the execution date.[2][4]
- Public coverage: The topic attracted coverage from multiple outlets, including The Independent, ABC15 (Arizona), and others, noting the context of multiple U.S. executions around that time and details of his case and last-steps in clemency appeals. Some sources discuss the final meal and last words reported in coverage of executions, though specifics can vary by outlet.[5][7]
If you’d like, I can summarize each source more precisely, compare their timelines, or pull the latest developments (e.g., last-minute legal actions or subsequent updates) and present them side-by-side. I can also format a concise timeline of McGill’s case and the execution process, or provide a short bio.