Utah death row inmate’s attorneys file appeal in Utah Supreme Court
Jun 10, 2025, 2:34 PM
Ralph Menzies appears in Third District Court for a competency hearing in West Jordan, on Monday, Nov 18, 2024. (Pool, Rick Egan)
(Pool, Rick Egan)
SALT LAKE CITY — Attorneys for Utah death row inmate Ralph Menzies have filed an appeal with the Utah Supreme Court challenging a ruling that he is competent to understand why he could be executed.
The appeal follows state prosecutors’ request for a warrant to execute Menzies via firing squad, which was filed on June 9.
KSL NewsRadio previously reported that Third District Court Judge Matthew Bates ruled that Menzies is competent to be executed, even though he has developed dementia.
Related: Menzies ruled competent to face execution
Court proceedings were halted in this case in Feb. 2024 after Menzies’ defense requested a mental health evaluation. KSL.com reported that they argued he could no longer understand why he was on death row.
Ralph Menzies found guilty of murder
Menzies has been on death row since 1988, after he was found guilty of murdering Maurine Hunsaker in 1986.
She had been abducted from her job at a Kearns gas station. Although she called her husband, telling him she’d been kidnapped but believed she would be freed, she was later found dead. Her body was tied to a tree.
