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 Judge Sets Execution Date for Dementia Suffering Inmate by Firing Squad
  • Local news

Utah Judge Sets Execution Date for Dementia Suffering Inmate by Firing Squad

    Utah judge schedules execution by firing squad for a man with dementia
    Up next
    Faith brings light to devastated Texas town after deadly flooding disaster
    Hope Shines on Texas Town in Aftermath of Tragic Flooding
    Published on 10 July 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • Daniel Boyer,
    • dementia,
    • execution,
    • firing,
    • for,
    • judge,
    • Lindsey Layer,
    • man,
    • Matthew Bates,
    • Maurine Hunsaker,
    • Ralph Leroy Menzies,
    • schedules,
    • Squad,
    • U.S. news,
    • Utah,
    • with
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    SALT LAKE CITY – On Wednesday, a Utah judge scheduled the execution of a man with dementia who has spent 37 years on death row. His legal team is actively appealing, arguing that his condition is deteriorating.

    Ralph Leroy Menzies, aged 67, is slated for execution on September 5 for the 1986 abduction and murder of Maurine Hunsaker, a mother of three from Utah. Many years back, Menzies chose a firing squad as his preferred method of execution. If carried out, he will be only the sixth person in the U.S. executed by firing squad since 1977.

    Judge Matthew Bates approved the death warrant a month after determining that Menzies, despite his recent mental decline, still “consistently and rationally” comprehends the reasons for his execution. Menzies’ lawyers have requested a reevaluation, but Bates stated on Wednesday that the ongoing appeal does not prevent him from scheduling the execution.

    Bates did, however, schedule a July 23 hearing to evaluate the new competency petition. Menzies’ attorneys say his dementia has gotten so severe that he uses a wheelchair, is dependent on oxygen and cannot understand his legal case.

    “We remain hopeful that the courts or the clemency board will recognize the profound inhumanity of executing a man who is experiencing steep cognitive decline and significant memory loss,” said Lindsey Layer, an attorney for Menzies. “Taking the life of someone with a terminal illness who is no longer a threat to anyone and whose mind and identity have been overtaken by dementia serves neither justice nor human decency.”

    The Utah Attorney General’s Office has “full confidence” in the judge’s decision, Assistant Attorney General Daniel Boyer said.

    The U.S. Supreme Court has at times spared prisoners with dementia from execution, including an Alabama man in 2019 who had killed a police officer. If a defendant cannot understand why they are being put to death, the high court said, then an execution is not carrying out the retribution that society is seeking.

    For Hunsaker’s son Matt, who was 10 years old when his mother was killed, it has been “hard to swallow that it’s taken this long” to get justice.

    “You issue the warrant today, you start a process for our family,” he told the judge Wednesday. “It puts everybody on the clock. We’ve now introduced another generation of my mom, and we still don’t have justice served.”

    Hunsaker, 26, was abducted by Menzies from a convenience store where she worked in the Salt Lake City suburb of Kearns. She was later found strangled and her throat cut about 16 miles (25 kilometers) away at a picnic area in Big Cottonwood Canyon. 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 in 1988.

    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. He and other Utah death row inmates sentenced before May 2004 were given a choice between firing squad and lethal injection. For inmates sentenced in the state after that date, lethal injection is the default method unless the drugs are unavailable.

    Utah last executed prisoners by firing squad in 2010, and South Carolina used the method on two men this year. Only three other states — Idaho, Mississippi and Oklahoma — allow firing squad executions.

    Menzies is among 10 people scheduled to be put to death in seven states during the remainder of 2025. Twenty-five men in the U.S. have died by court-ordered execution so far this year.

    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
    Charles Barkley on NBA arrests: 'These dudes are stupid'
    • Local news

    Charles Barkley Speaks Out: ‘These NBA Players Are Making Dumb Decisions

    In a heated exchange on Thursday, former NBA star Charles Barkley took…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Live at Georgia-Carolina State Fair: Thursday is Coca-Cola night for $7 admission
    • Local news

    Experience Coca-Cola Night at the Georgia-Carolina State Fair: Enjoy Thursday Admission for Just $7

    AUGUSTA, Ga. – NewsChannel 6’s Brad Means is on the scene at…
    • Internewscast
    • October 23, 2025
    Samara Joy reflects on her Grammy wins and the creative journey behind 'Portrait'
    • Local news

    Grammy-Winning Artist Samara Joy Unveils Inspiration and Journey Behind Acclaimed Album ‘Portrait

    LOS ANGELES – Samara Joy’s voice resonates with an enchanting allure, transporting…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025

    Exclusive: Bodycam Footage Revealing Former NFL Star Jay Cutler’s Arrest Now Public

    FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) – Authorities in Tennessee have unveiled bodycam footage capturing…
    • Internewscast
    • October 23, 2025
    Japan's new leader vows to further bolster defense buildup and spending as regional tensions rise
    • Local news

    Japan’s Prime Minister Commits to Strengthening Defense Amid Growing Regional Challenges

    In Tokyo, newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered her inaugural…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025

    Local Veterans Commemorate Beirut Bombing Anniversary: Honoring the Fallen and Reflecting on History

    In Kingsport, Tennessee, an event was recently held to commemorate the 42nd…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Government shutdown likely means no inflation data next month for 1st time in decades
    • Local news

    Upcoming Government Shutdown Could Halt Inflation Data Release for First Time in Years

    WASHINGTON – The looming government shutdown is poised to disrupt the release…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Colleagues remember beloved CSRA radio host
    • Local news

    Colleagues Honor Cherished CSRA Radio Host’s Legacy

    AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Central Savannah River Area is in mourning following…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Bradenton’s 'Tech Fairy' turns old laptops into new opportunities
    • Local news

    Bradenton’s ‘Tech Fairy’ Transforms Old Laptops into New Opportunities

    BRADENTON, Fla. (SNN) – For almost ten years, a Bradenton resident has…
    • Internewscast
    • October 23, 2025
    Woman shot by border agents in Chicago out of hospital, in FBI custody
    • Local news

    Chicago’s Tranquil Protests Shine a Spotlight on Border Patrol Chief Controversy

    On Friday, protesters gathered peacefully outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Tampa Bay community watching closely as Tropical Storm Melissa gains strength
    • Local news

    Stay Alert: Tropical Storm Melissa Intensifies, Tampa Bay Prepares for Impact

    VALRICO, Fla. (WFLA) — The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Wanted: Church paying the price after suspect cashes fraudulent checks
    • Local news

    Church Faces Financial Consequences as Suspect Cashes Fraudulent Checks

    DISCLAIMER: All individuals are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Government shutdown likely means no inflation data next month for 1st time in decades
    • Local news

    Upcoming Government Shutdown Could Halt Inflation Data Release for First Time in Years

    WASHINGTON – The looming government shutdown is poised to disrupt the release…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    While filming The Road, Billie Jo Jones, a contestant from the show told the Daily Mail, 'He definitely pushed personal stuff aside and was all business professional the entire time'
    • AU

    Keith Urban Remains Tight-Lipped About Nicole Kidman Split on New Reality Show ‘The Road,’ Contestant Discloses

    Keith Urban remained steadfastly professional during the filming of his new TV…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Godfather director sells watch collection after $120m film flopped
    • News

    Iconic ‘Godfather’ Director Auctions Watch Collection Following $120 Million Box Office Disappointment

    Renowned filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, famous for directing The Godfather, is parting…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Woman shot by border agents in Chicago out of hospital, in FBI custody
    • Local news

    Chicago’s Tranquil Protests Shine a Spotlight on Border Patrol Chief Controversy

    On Friday, protesters gathered peacefully outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs…
    • Internewscast
    • October 24, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.