Utah Board Denies Clemency for Death Row Inmate Ralph Menzies Ahead of September Execution

The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole has denied death row inmate Ralph Leroy Menzies' request to commute his death sentence to life in prison without parole, allowing his execution by firing squad to proceed as scheduled on September 5. Menzies was convicted for the 1986 kidnapping and murder of Maurine Hunsaker, and his attorneys argued that his worsening dementia and limited mobility should warrant mercy. However, the board considered testimony from both Menzies' defense and the state, along with statements from victim representatives, and found no cause to alter the sentence. Family members of Hunsaker expressed their desire for closure after nearly 40 years, emphasizing that Menzies has never shown remorse. Although a lower court found Menzies competent to be executed, his legal team plans to appeal to the Utah Supreme Court, arguing that his dementia prevents him from understanding the execution, which would violate constitutional protections. Utah law grants the parole board, not the governor, the power to commute death sentences, making this decision one of the final steps before the execution.