Chose Firing Squad at Sentencing 37 Years Ago
Attorney Argues "Unable to Understand Situation Due to Worsening Dementia"
In the United States, the execution date has been set for a death row inmate in his 60s who is suffering from dementia, while his legal team has filed an appeal citing his deteriorating health. This inmate had chosen execution by firing squad when he was sentenced to death 37 years ago.
According to the Associated Press on July 10 (local time), the execution date for Ralph Leroy Menzies, a 67-year-old death row inmate in Utah who has been incarcerated for 37 years and is suffering from dementia, has been scheduled for September 5 by firing squad.
Menzies is serving time for kidnapping and murdering Maureen Hunsaker, a mother of three, in 1986. At the time of his sentencing, he chose execution by firing squad. If carried out, this would make him the sixth person in the United States to be executed by firing squad since 1977.
Judge Matthew Bates of Utah's Third District Court ruled last month that, despite Menzies' recent cognitive decline, he "consistently and rationally understands" the reason for his death sentence.
Menzies' legal team argued that the execution would be unjust and filed an appeal, but Judge Bates rejected the appeal, stating that it could not serve as grounds to delay the setting of the execution date.
However, the court has scheduled a new hearing on Menzies' "mental incompetence" for July 23. His attorneys claim that Menzies' dementia has worsened to the point where he is dependent on a wheelchair and requires an oxygen tank, and that he is now incapable of understanding his legal situation.
Menzies' attorney, Lindsay Layer, stated, "Executing a dementia patient suffering from severe memory loss and cognitive decline is not a humane decision," urging both the parole board and the court to reconsider.
In response, the Utah Attorney General's Office stated, "We have full confidence in the court's decision."
In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court set a precedent by sparing the life of a dementia patient in Alabama who had killed a police officer. The Court ruled that if a defendant does not understand the reason for their death sentence, the punishment loses its legitimate purpose as sought by society.
Meanwhile, Hunsaker was working at a convenience store in Kearns, Utah, when she was abducted by Menzies. She was later found in the mountains 25 kilometers away, having been strangled and stabbed. When Menzies was arrested on separate charges, he was found in possession of Hunsaker's wallet and belongings.
He was convicted of first-degree murder and other charges in 1988, and his execution was postponed twice due to repeated appeals over several decades. Prior to May 2004, Utah death row inmates could choose between firing squad and lethal injection as their method of execution. Since then, lethal injection has become the default method, but firing squad is permitted if the necessary drugs are unavailable.
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