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Utah firing squad execution of Ralph Leroy Menzies, 67, has been halted by the state’s Supreme Court. Menzies was scheduled to die on September 5 for the 1986 abduction and murder of Maurine Hunsaker, a Utah mother of three.
Menzies, who chose the firing squad decades ago, would have become only the sixth prisoner executed this way since 1977. However, his lawyers argued that severe dementia now makes him unfit for execution.
Defense Argues Severe Mental Decline
Attorneys said Menzies suffers from advanced dementia after 37 years on death row. They explained he now uses a wheelchair, depends on oxygen, and cannot understand why he faces execution. Defense lawyer Lindsey Layer said his condition worsened since his last competency evaluation. She confirmed the legal team will present new medical evidence in the trial court.
Supreme Court’s Decision
The Utah Supreme Court ruled that Menzies presented substantial changes in his mental state. The justices ordered a lower court to reassess his competency. “We acknowledge the family’s suffering,” the court wrote, “but we must follow the rule of law.”
Family members of victim Maurine Hunsaker expressed deep disappointment and requested privacy during this renewed legal process.
Medical Experts Disagree
Prosecutors’ medical experts testified that Menzies can still grasp his circumstances. Defense experts strongly disagreed, saying he cannot comprehend the punishment. The trial court will now weigh this conflicting evidence.
Legal Precedent on Dementia Cases
This case mirrors past rulings. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court stopped the execution of Alabama inmate Vernon Madison, who also suffered from dementia. Madison had killed a police officer in 1985 but later died in prison.
The high court previously barred executions of people who lack understanding of their punishment, ruling it violates constitutional protections.
Crime and Background
Menzies abducted Hunsaker on February 23, 1986. She called her husband, saying she had been robbed and kidnapped but would be released. Two days later, a hiker found her strangled with her throat slashed in Big Cottonwood Canyon, about 25 kilometers away.
Utah last executed a prisoner by lethal injection in 2023. The state has not used a firing squad since Ronnie Lee Gardner’s death in 2010. Earlier this year, South Carolina carried out two firing squad executions.
