Utah Judge Sets Execution Date for Dementia Patient on Death Row

A Utah judge has set an execution date for Ralph Leroy Menzies, a 67-year-old man suffering from dementia, who has spent 37 years on death row. This decision was made on Wednesday, even as his attorney raised concerns about his deteriorating mental health.

Menzies is scheduled to be executed on September 5th for the 1986 murder of Maurine Hunsaker, a mother of three. Notably, he is only the sixth inmate to be executed by firing squad in the U.S. since 1977.

Judge Matthew Bates signed the death warrant a month after determining that, despite Menzies’ cognitive decline, he understood the reasons for his impending execution. Menzies’ lawyer sought a reevaluation of his mental state, but Bates stated that the pending appeal did not justify delaying the execution date.

A hearing is set for July 23 to review the new petition regarding Menzies’ capacity. His lawyers argue that his dementia is so advanced that he is now wheelchair-bound, relies on oxygen, and is unable to comprehend his legal situation.

“We hope the court will recognize the deep humanity involved in executing someone who has lost their cognitive abilities,” said attorney Lindsey Layer. “Taking the life of a terminally ill individual whose identity has been consumed by dementia is neither justice nor humane.”

The Utah Attorney General’s office supports the judge’s decision, with Attorney General Daniel Boyer expressing confidence in the ruling.

The U.S. Supreme Court has previously intervened in cases involving inmates with dementia, including a notable case in 2019 which involved a man who killed a police officer. The Court ruled that if defendants can’t grasp why they are being executed, it undermines the punitive purpose of such actions.

For Matt, the son of Hunsaker, who was just ten when his mother was murdered, the prolonged wait for justice has been hard. “It’s frustrating that it has taken so long,” he shared with the judge. “You’re starting a process that will finally bring some closure for our families.” He noted that this new development has been particularly significant for a new generation of his mother’s family.

Hunsaker, at 26, was lured to the convenience store where Menzies worked. She was later found dead about 16 miles away, having been strangled and mutilated. Menzies was arrested on unrelated charges while in possession of Hunsaker’s belongings and was convicted of first-degree murder in 1988.

Menzies’ legal team has filed numerous appeals over the years, successfully delaying his execution. In Utah, death row inmates sentenced before May 2004 can choose between firing squad and lethal injection for their executions. For those sentenced after that date, lethal injection is the primary method unless drugs aren’t available.

The last execution by firing squad in Utah occurred in 2010, while South Carolina has recently carried out two executions using this method. Only three other states—Idaho, Mississippi, and Oklahoma—permit firing squads as a form of execution.

Menzies is among ten inmates anticipated to be executed across seven states by the end of 2025, with 25 individuals having already faced court-ordered executions this year.