Ralph Menzies, a death row inmate, is deemed mentally competent by a Utah judge to be put to death by firing squad.
Judge Matthew Bates of the 3rd District stated in a decision on Friday night that although Menzies has dementia, it is insufficient to keep him from comprehending the reason for his punishment.
The Utah Supreme Court will hear an appeal of the ruling, according to Menzies’ lawyers.
The decision concludes a months-long competency hearing that started in November, during which Menzies’ lawyers contended that the 67-year-old’s brain is so damaged that he is unable to develop a “rational understanding” of the state’s motivation for seeking the death penalty. State lawyers countered that although Menzies exhibits symptoms of cognitive decline, he is still capable.
Menzies was found guilty of Maurine Hunsaker’s murder in 1986 and has been on death row for almost 40 years. A 26-year-old petrol station clerk named Hunsaker was abducted by Menzies from her job and taken up Big Cottonwood Canyon, where she was later discovered with her throat cut and bound to a tree.
According to Menzies’ lawyers, his health has declined in recent years. He was given a diagnosis of vascular dementia, which is brought on by disruptions in blood flow to the brain, which results in memory loss and deteriorating cognitive function, after he fell multiple times while incarcerated. Menzies falls multiple times a month due to his fragile balance and failing brain tissue, according to an MRI.
Bates noted Menzies’ infirmity in his verdict on Friday, but stated that it is insufficient to declare him incompetent.
“Although Menzies has shown he has vascular dementia, he has not shown by a preponderance of the evidence that his mental condition prevents him from reaching a rational understanding of his punishment or the State’s reasons for it. Therefore, he has not met his burden to show he is incompetent to be executed,” Bates wrote.
Maurine’s son, Matt Hunsaker, said in a statement that he was grateful for the court’s promptness in rendering the decision. Bates gave himself a deadline of July 6 by stating he will render a decision in 60 days during the last day of arguments in the competency hearing on May 7.
“It kind of comes as a shock to the family. We weren’t expecting it this soon,” Hunsaker said. “We definitely appreciate the fact that it’s moving forward, we are in hopes that the flow can continue and we can get an execution date and the death warrant signed immediately.”
Hunsaker, in a text message, added, “my family is very happy to see that we might have some closure coming.”
Lindsey Layer, Menzies’ lawyer, told Utah News Dispatch that they are unhappy with the decision and intend to appeal it to the Utah Supreme Court.
“Ralph Menzies is a severely brain-damaged, wheelchair-bound, 67-year-old man with dementia and significant memory problems,” Layer said. “He cannot understand the State’s reasons for his execution. His dementia is progressive and he is not going to get better. 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.”
Death row inmates in Utah who were condemned before to May 2004 were given the option of either a firing squad or a lethal injection. Menzies selected the firing squad as his method of sentencing in 1988. Unless the required medications are unavailable, lethal injection is the default method of execution for individuals convicted after 2004.
