Utah death row inmate with dementia dies of natural causes 3 months after execution was halted

A Utah antheral who had his execution blocked aft processing dementia during his astir 40 years connected decease enactment died of evident earthy causes, according to the state's Department of Corrections.

Ralph Leroy Menzies, 67, passed distant connected Wednesday.

The authorities Supreme Court successful August blocked his execution scheduled for Sept. 5 aft his attorneys successfully argued that his dementia had go excessively severe. A caller competency proceeding to reevaluate his intelligence authorities was acceptable for adjacent month.

He was acceptable to dice by firing squad for his condemnation successful the abduction and sidesplitting of Maurine Hunsaker, a 26-year-old parent of three, adjacent Salt Lake City successful 1986. Menzies was sentenced to decease successful 1988.

UTAH KILLER WITH DEMENTIA IS COMPETENT ENOUGH FOR DEATH SENTENCE TO BE CARRIED OUT, JUDGE RULES

Ralph Menzies, convicted of sidesplitting Maurine Hunsaker, attends his commutation proceeding astatine the Utah State Correctional Facility successful Salt Lake City connected Aug. 15, 2025. (AP)

The victim's husband, Jim Hunsaker, said helium had a "happy feeling" and similar a immense value had been lifted disconnected him erstwhile helium learned of Menzies' death.

"I deliberation a batch of it is going to beryllium conscionable healing now," helium told The Associated Press. "I don’t deliberation determination was a time that I didn’t deliberation astir it."

He expressed vexation astir however the state's judicial strategy handled Menzies' case, saying his household experienced "one disappointment aft another" for decades.

"It seems similar everything went his way," helium said.

Menzies is 1 of respective U.S. prisoners who person died of earthy causes portion connected decease row.

More than fractional of each U.S. prisoners sentenced to decease walk much than 18 years awaiting execution, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

The authorities Supreme Court said implicit the summertime that the progression of Menzies' illness raised a important interest astir his fittingness to beryllium executed. A authorities aesculapian nonrecreational agreed successful a intelligence competency study published this period that Menzies lacked a rational knowing of wherefore helium was facing execution.

Ralph Leroy Menzies appears successful Third District Court for a competency proceeding successful West Jordan, Utah connected Nov 18, 2024. (AP)

Those findings came aft a authorities justice ruled helium was competent capable to beryllium executed, saying successful June that Menzies "consistently and rationally understands" what is happening and wherefore helium is facing execution, contempt his caller cognitive decline, and that his execution would not interruption the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and antithetic punishments.

Utah Attorney General Derek Brown said helium hopes the victim's household volition yet person immoderate closure and bid aft Menzies' death.

"For decades, the authorities of Utah has pursued justness connected her behalf. The way has been agelong and filled with pain, acold much than immoderate victim’s household should ever person to endure," Brown said.

Menzies abducted Hunsaker from a convenience store wherever she worked connected Feb. 23, 1986, conscionable days aft helium was released connected bail for an unrelated crime. She aboriginal called her hubby to archer him she had been robbed and kidnapped, but that her abductor planned to merchandise her.

Days later, a hiker recovered her assemblage astatine a picnic country astir 16 miles distant successful Big Cottonwood Canyon, having been strangled and her pharynx cut.

When helium was aboriginal jailed connected unrelated matters, Menzies had Hunsaker’s wallet and respective different items that belonged to her. Police besides said Hunsaker’s thumbprint was recovered successful a car that Menzies was driving, and her purse was discovered successful his apartment.

SOUTH CAROLINA TRIPLE MURDERER SET TO BE THIRD MAN TO DIE BY FIRING SQUAD IN STATE THIS YEAR

A seat sits successful the execution enclosure astatine the Utah State Prison connected June 18, 2010. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool, File)

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Menzies was convicted of first-degree execution and different crimes.

"We’re grateful that Ralph passed people and maintained his spiritedness and dignity until the end," Menzies' ineligible squad said successful a statement.

Menzies selected the firing squad arsenic his method of execution and would person go lone the seventh U.S. captive executed by firing squad since the U.S. reinstated the decease punishment successful 1977 — 3 successful Utah, with the past 1 successful the authorities carried retired successful 2010, and 3 successful South Carolina this year.

Utah’s past execution of immoderate method was carried retired by lethal injection implicit a twelvemonth ago.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.