A 67-year-old Utah man, Ralph Leroy Menzies, has died from apparent natural causes after spending 37 years on death row. His passing occurred on Wednesday at 1:45 p.m. local time in a hospital, as confirmed by the Utah Department of Corrections. Menzies’s death was preceded by a legal battle regarding his mental competence due to severe dementia.
Dementia-Stricken Utah Death Row Inmate Passes Away
Menzies was initially set to face execution by firing squad in September 2023. However, the Utah Supreme Court intervened in August, halting the execution process based on his deteriorating mental health. A new competency hearing was scheduled for mid-December to reevaluate Menzies’s state of mind.
Conviction and Crime Details
The inmate was convicted for the abduction and murder of Maurine Hunsaker in 1986. His crime took place when he kidnapped Hunsaker from a convenience store near Salt Lake City. Two days after her abduction, her body was discovered in Big Cottonwood Canyon, roughly 16 miles from the initial crime scene.
- Menzies abducted Hunsaker on February 23, 1986.
- Hunsaker was a 26-year-old mother of three.
- Her body was found two days post-abduction.
- Menzies was sentenced to death in 1988.
The evidence linking Menzies to the crime was substantial. Hunsaker’s thumbprint was found in Menzies’ car, and her personal belongings were located in his apartment. An act described as horrific violence by Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, Menzies’s actions took a significant toll on Hunsaker’s family.
Community and Legal Reactions
Following Menzies’s death, Brown emphasized the pain endured by Hunsaker’s family over the decades. His legal team expressed gratitude that Menzies passed away naturally, asserting that he maintained his dignity throughout his life.
Execution Methods in the U.S.
Menzies was poised to become only the seventh prisoner executed by firing squad in the United States since 1977. The method was chosen by Menzies decades ago when provided with options. Utah has not executed anyone via firing squad since Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010, and it has only conducted one lethal injection execution in the past year.
South Carolina recently resumed executions by firing squad, executing three individuals in 2023, highlighting a resurgence in this controversial method as states continue to navigate challenges in acquiring lethal injection drugs.
