Firing Squad

The Utah Supreme Court ruled late Friday afternoon that Menzies’ mental competency needs to be re-evaluated because of his dementia, overturning a previous lower court finding.

Ralph Menzies' legal team has appealed a Utah judge’s rulings on his mental capacity to the Utah Supreme Court. Their main argument centered around a judge’s denial of a request for a new mental evaluation.

Ralph Menzies is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on Sept. 5, 2025. Activists, including the brother of Ronnie Lee Gardner, want capital punishment to be abolished in Utah.

Menzies is scheduled to face a firing squad on Sept. 5 for the 1986 murder of Maurine Hunsaker. He still has an appeal to be heard by the Utah Supreme Court.

Ralph Menzies is scheduled to be executed Sept. 5 for the brutal murder of Maurine Hunsaker. At his commutation hearing, her family recounted the pain of losing her nearly four decades ago.

The 67-year-old is scheduled to be executed by firing squad Sept. 5. Citing Menzies’ worsening dementia, his attorneys asked the judge for a new mental evaluation to determine whether he’s competent to be executed.

The 67-year-old is scheduled to be executed on Sept. 5. His attorneys argue his vascular dementia and sentencing errors warrant commuting his sentence to life in prison.

Menzie's attorneys say the 67-year-old’s dementia has gotten significantly worse in recent months, but the state disagrees. His execution is scheduled for Sept. 5.

While a Utah judge set a September execution date, the court scheduled another hearing to determine whether the inmate with dementia needs another mental evaluation to determine competency.

Sixty-seven-year-old Ralph Menzies, despite suffering from dementia, is set to be executed Sept. 5 for abducting and killing Utah mother of three Maurine Hunsaker in 1986.

Ralph Leroy Menzies was sentenced to die in 1988 for the killing of Maurine Hunsaker. His attorneys say the 67-year-old inmate’s dementia is so severe that he cannot understand why he’s to be executed.

KUER’s Doug Fabrizio was a witness when Utah carried out Ronnie Lee Gardner’s death sentence by firing squad. As the state prepares to execute Taberon Honie, Fabrizio reflected on his experience and why it’s important not to look away.