Utah death row inmate Ralph Menzies’ commutation hearing denied
Aug 19, 2025, 12:21 PM | Updated: 2:08 pm
Maurine Hunsaker (L) was murdered by Ralph Menzies (R) in 1986. He was convicted of capital murder in 1988. This week, the Utah Board of Parole and Pardons denies Menzies' request to commute his death penalty sentence. (L - Family of Maurine Hunsaker, R - Francisco Kjolseth, pool photographer)
(L - Family of Maurine Hunsaker, R - Francisco Kjolseth, pool photographer)
SALT LAKE CITY — Commutation of Utah death row inmate Ralph Menzies’ sentence has been denied.
The state Board of Pardons and Parole said on Tuesday that after careful consideration, they do not find cause for his death sentence to be commuted to life in prison instead.
His execution by firing squad is scheduled for Sept. 5.
The 67-year-old death row inmate was convicted in the murder of Maurine Hunsaker in 1986. Hunsaker was 26-years-old and had three children when she disappeared from a Kearns gas station. Her body was later found tied to a tree near the Storm Mountain campground in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
Hunsaker’s disappearance happened three days after Menzies was released on bail from a charge of theft.
A jury convicted Menzies of her murder two years later.
Over the last year, attorneys for Menzies have argued in court that their client is suffering with progressively worsening dementia. They argued that because of this decline, Menzies is incapable of understanding why he was sentenced to the death penalty.
Menzies’ attorneys have also argued that perjured testimony from another inmate went into the jury’s decision to sentence Menzies to death.
According to reporting from KSL.com, the other inmate admitted he lied when he told a court that Menzies’ had bragged about Hunsaker’s death.
This is a breaking news story. It may be updated.
Related: ‘It’s not right to kill him’: Maurine Hunsaker’s oldest daughter opposes Menzies’ execution
