Longtime death row inmate shouldn’t be executed because he has dementia, lawyers argue

Salt Lake City — Attorneys for Ralph Leroy Menzies, a Utah man on death row for 37 years, argued in court that he should be spared execution due to severe dementia that impairs his understanding of the situation. Menzies was convicted of murdering Maurine Hunsaker in 1988, and if deemed competent, he may face execution by firing squad, a method recently used in South Carolina. The judge will issue a decision on Menzies’ competency within 60 days, amid conflicting medical opinions on his mental capacity and emotional testimony from Hunsaker’s son about the prolonged legal turmoil.