Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news Utah Court Decides Dementia-Afflicted Convict Fit for Execution
  • Local news

Utah Court Decides Dementia-Afflicted Convict Fit for Execution

    Utah judge rules a convicted killer with dementia is competent to be executed
    Up next
    James Carville addresses his comments on Jewish campaign donors
    James Carville Clarifies His Statements About Jewish Political Donors
    Published on 07 June 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • competent,
    • convicted,
    • dementia,
    • executed,
    • health,
    • judge,
    • killer,
    • Lindsey Layer,
    • Matt Hunsaker,
    • Matthew Bates,
    • Maurine Hunsaker,
    • Ralph Leroy Menzies,
    • rules,
    • U.S. news,
    • Utah,
    • with
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah state judge has ruled that a convicted murderer, who has spent 37 years on death row and developed dementia during that time, is still competent to be executed.

    Ralph Leroy Menzies, now 67, was given the death penalty in 1988 for the murder of Maurine Hunsaker, a mother of three. Although he has shown cognitive decline recently, Judge Matthew Bates stated in a court order that Menzies “consistently and rationally understands” the circumstances and reasons surrounding his execution.

    Judge Bates further explained, “Menzies has not demonstrated through sufficient evidence that his comprehension of his crime and corresponding punishment has altered or diminished in a manner that violates the Eighth Amendment,” which guards against cruel and unusual punishment.

    Menzies had previously selected a firing squad as his method of execution. He would become only the sixth U.S. prisoner executed by firing squad since 1977.

    The Utah Attorney General’s Office is expected to file a death warrant soon.

    Menzies’ lawyers, who had argued his dementia was so severe that he could not understand why he was being put to death, said they plan to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court.

    “Ralph Menzies is a severely brain-damaged, wheelchair-bound, 67-year-old man with dementia and significant memory problems,” his attorney, Lindsey Layer, said in a statement. “It is deeply troubling that Utah plans to remove Mr. Menzies from his wheelchair and oxygen tank to strap him into an execution chair and shoot him to death.”

    The U.S. Supreme Court has spared others prisoners with dementia from execution, including an Alabama man in 2019 who had killed a police officer.

    Over nearly four decades, attorneys for Menzies filed multiple appeals that delayed his death sentence, which had been scheduled at least twice before it was pushed back.

    Hunsaker, a 26-year-old married mother of three, was abducted by Menzies from the convenience store where she worked. She was later found strangled and her throat cut at a picnic area in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah. Menzies had Hunsaker’s wallet and several other belongings when he was jailed on unrelated matters. He was convicted of first-degree murder and other crimes.

    Matt Hunsaker, who was 10 years old when his mother was killed, said Friday that the family was overwhelmed with emotion to know that justice would finally be served.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    State supreme court puts lawmaker pay raise on hold
    • Local news

    State Supreme Court Delays Pay Increase for Lawmakers

    COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – A planned pay raise for South Carolina lawmakers…
    • Internewscast
    • June 28, 2025
    Supeme Court allows states to cut Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood
    • Local news

    Supreme Court Grants States Authority to Reduce Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood

    WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – States can now block the country’s largest abortion provider,…
    • Internewscast
    • June 27, 2025
    Supreme Court to rehear major Louisiana redistricting case
    • Local news

    Supreme Court to Review Key Louisiana Redistricting Case Again

    The Supreme Court will hear a new round of arguments over Louisiana’s addition…
    • Internewscast
    • June 27, 2025
    Older adults outnumber children in almost half of US counties: Census data
    • Local news

    In nearly half of all US counties, there are more older adults than children, according to census data.

    (The Hill) — Older adults now outnumber children in almost half of…
    • Internewscast
    • June 27, 2025
    Ohio "drug kingpin" sentenced in one of the largest drug busts in county's history
    • Local news

    Ohio “Drug Kingpin” Receives Sentence After One of County’s Largest Drug Busts

    STEUBENVILLE, OHIO (WTRF) A leader of a major fentanyl and cocaine distribution…
    • Internewscast
    • June 27, 2025
    Washington County, Tennessee man facing child sex crime charges
    • Local news

    34 Grams of Fentanyl Discovered During Traffic Stop in Johnson City

    JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — On Thursday, a Johnson City man was…
    • Internewscast
    • June 27, 2025
    Death toll from Kenya’s anti-government protests rises to 16
    • Local news

    Death Count in Kenya’s Anti-Government Protests Increases to 16

    NAIROBI, Kenya — According to the state-funded human rights commission, the death…
    • Internewscast
    • June 27, 2025
    Coach Don Coleman using his love for basketball to inspire youth | June CBE365 Affirmation Award Winner
    • Local news

    Coach Don Coleman’s Passion for Basketball Inspires the Youth | June CBE365 Affirmation Award Recipient

    – Each month News Channel 6 honors an African-American who is making…
    • Internewscast
    • June 27, 2025
    Effingham Police Chief retiring after 25 years of service
    • Local news

    Effingham’s Police Chief Steps Down After a Quarter-Century of Service

    EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — Following 25 years of service, Effingham Police Chief…
    • Internewscast
    • June 27, 2025
    Trump, Abbott approval ratings among Texans sours: Poll
    • Local news

    Texans’ Approval Ratings for Trump and Abbott Drop: Poll Reveals

    TEXAS (KXAN) On Wednesday, The Texas Politics Project, or TPP, released its…
    • Internewscast
    • June 28, 2025
    New dog-sized dinosaur identified after fossil mix-up
    • Local news

    Fossil Misclassification Leads to Discovery of New Dog-Sized Dinosaur

    () A new species of dinosaur the size of a Labrador retriever…
    • Internewscast
    • June 27, 2025
    Residents express amazement after seeing mystery object streak across the sky
    • Local news

    Locals Astonished by Mysterious Object Lighting Up the Night Sky

    ATLANTA – More than 200 individuals in several southern U.S. states have…
    • Internewscast
    • June 27, 2025
    Feel-Good Friday: Family Models Value of 'Showing Up' With Surprise Visit to Attend Dad's Commencement
    • US

    Feel-Good Friday: Family Exemplifies the Importance of ‘Being There’ by Surprising Dad at His Graduation

    A quote I often reflect on comes from the Victorian-era author, George…
    • Internewscast
    • June 28, 2025
    Suspected ICE facility attackers arrested in blue city, charged with assaulting federal officers
    • US

    Arrests Made in Alleged Attack on ICE Facility in Progressive City; Suspects Charged with Assaulting Federal Officers

    Several individuals charged with participating in a violent riot near a U.S.…
    • Internewscast
    • June 28, 2025
    Trump administration exploring $30 billion civilian nuclear deal for Iran
    • Local news

    The Trump Administration Considers $30 Billion Nuclear Agreement with Iran

    In recent days, the Trump administration has examined potential economic incentives for…
    • Internewscast
    • June 28, 2025
    Storm Team 3: Hot weekend with scattered afternoon storms
    • Local news

    Storm Team 3: Weekend Heatwave with Chances of Afternoon Storms

    Friday afternoon provided pleasant weather conditions in the Coastal Empire and…
    • Internewscast
    • June 28, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.