US EditionUtah Supreme Court blocks execution of prisoner with dementia who chose to die by firing squad
The Utah Supreme Court cited significant worsening of Menzies' vascular dementia, requiring a new competency evaluation before proceeding with execution, in line with constitutional protections.
- The Utah Supreme Court has blocked Ralph Menzies' execution, stating that further evaluation is needed to assess his competency due to his worsening dementia.
- Menzies' attorneys argued that his dementia prevents him from understanding why he is facing execution, as he is confused and disoriented.
- The court found that Menzies demonstrated a substantial change in circumstances regarding his mental state, requiring a reevaluation by a district judge.
- Menzies was sentenced to death for the 1986 murder of Maurine Hunsaker, whose family seeks closure as the legal process continues.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Utah Supreme Court Blocks Execution of Prisoner With Dementia Who Chose to Die by Firing Squad
The impending execution of a man by firing squad in Utah was blocked by the state’s Supreme Court on Friday after his attorneys argued he should be spared because he has dementia. Ralph Leroy Menzies, 67, was set to be executed Sept. 5 for abducting and killing Utah mother of three Maurine Hunsaker in 1986. When given a choice decades ago, Menzies selected a firing squad as his method of execution. He would have become only the sixth U.S. prison…
Death row inmate Ralph Menzies wins appeal, Sept. 5 execution called off
Ralph Menzies appears during his commutation hearing before the parole board at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City as he petitions to stop his execution by firing squad on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Pool photo by Bethany Baker/The Salt Lake Tribune) This is a breaking story and was updated at 6:00 p.m. With less than a week before his scheduled firing squad execution, the Utah Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of death…
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