SALT LAKE CITY — Inside Utah’s death chamber at the Utah State Correctional Facility, work is underway to prepare for Ralph Menzies’ scheduled execution.
Menzies, 67, is scheduled to be executed on Sept. 5 by firing squad for the 1986 kidnapping and murder of 26-year-old Maurine Hunsaker. The mother of three was found deceased in Big Cottonwood Canyon two days after Menzies abducted her from a gas station in Kearns.
Menzies and his team of attorneys are still pursing several legal avenues to avoid the death penalty. Just this week, a judge heard arguments about whether Menzies’ mental state should be reevaluated. Menzies’ attorneys said his competency has declined significantly since he was previously found competent to be executed, despite a dementia diagnosis. The judge has not yet released a decision about the latest competency petition…