| Date of birth: | Jul 28, 1964 |
| Ethnicity: | MEXICAN AMERICAN |
| Hair: | Brown |
| Eyes: | Brown |
| Unit: | ASPC Eyman SMU II |
| Status: | ACTIVE |
| Release type: | RET.FM.COURT |
| Most recent loc: | ASPC Eyman |
| Last movement: | Dec 3, 2007 |
| Inmate number: | 058534 |
| Inmate detainee: | INMATE |
| Custody class: | 5/3 |
| Crime description: | INMATE 058534 - GONZALES, ERNEST V. On the evening of February 20, 1990, the Wagner family returned to their town house in Phoenix from dinner where they had celebrated Darrel Wagner's recent promotion. When they entered their court yard, Deborah Wagner noticed a light shining out their opened front door. Darrel went inside while Deborah and her 7-year-old son remained in the court yard. Inside, Darrel saw Gonzales, a parolee, standing on the landing holding their VCR tucked underneath his arm. Deborah sent her son for help. When she turned back, Gonzales had shoved her husband out the front door, stabbing him. When Gonzales ignored her pleas to stop stabbing, Deborah climbed on his back. Gonzales stabbed her twice. One cut damaged her spleen, colon and diaphragm and the other punctured her lung. Gonzales then fled. Darrel Wagner lived long enough to help his wife up and then began a conversation with the 911 operator while gasping for air. Gonzales had stabbed him 7 times. Darrel Wagner died from stab wounds to his chest, one skewered the lower lobe of his right lung and another went into the left ventricle of his heart. Phoenix police arrested Gonzales on February 23, 1991. In addition to the murder, he was convicted of first-degree burglary, aggravated assault, armed robbery, theft, and of another residential burglary committed minutes before the murder. In addition to the death penalty, Gonzales was sentenced to three consecutive life terms. PROCEEDINGS Presiding Judge: J.D. Howe Prosecutor: Jeffrey Sandier Start of Trial: May 23, 1991 (prior trial in January 1991 resulted in hung jury) Verdict: June 6, 1991 Sentencing: April 27, 1992 Aggravating Circumstances Grave risk of death to others Pecuniary gain Mitigating Circumstances sufficient to call leniency ( found) PUBLISHED OPINIONS State v. Gonzales, 181 Ariz. 502, 892 P.2d 838 (1995). October 27, 1999 - Warrant of execution issued by Arizona Supreme Court for the execution of Ernest Valencia Gonzales #58534 on December 8, 1999 November 16, 1999 - Stay of Execution has been issued by the Arizona Supreme Court in the scheduled execution. |
| Community supervision parole: | N |
| Commitment status: | COMPLETE AND VERIFIED |
| Admission date: | Apr 27, 1992 |
| Booking location: | Maricopa County, AZ |
| Commit number: | C01 |
| Admit date: | Apr 27, 1992 |
| Release date: | Apr 14, 2015 |
| Consec concur: | Concurrent:C01 |
| Commit number: | C02 |
| Admit date: | Apr 27, 1992 |
| Consec concur: | Consecutive:C02 |
| Commit number: | C03 |
| Admit date: | Apr 27, 1992 |
| Consec concur: | Consecutive:C03 |
| Commit number: | C04 |
| Admit date: | Apr 27, 1992 |
| Discharge date: | Jun 2000 |
| Consec concur: | Consecutive:C03 |
| Commit number: | C05 |
| Admit date: | Apr 27, 1992 |
| Discharge date: | 2000 |
| Consec concur: | Consecutive:C04 |
| Commit number: | C06 |
| Admit date: | Apr 27, 1992 |
