Ralph Leroy Menzies was born on April 21, 1958, in Utah, United States. He had a difficult start in life, growing up in a dysfunctional family. After the early death of his biological mother, Ralph faced relentless child abuse from his stepfathers. They were known to assault him and deny him food. Ralph and his sister were made to sleep in a very small room together for three years. His stepfathers also prevented him from attending school.

Because of this abuse and the lack of a proper parental figure, Ralph's childhood was chaotic. His sister had to take care of him, particularly since he was in poor health. School records indicated that Ralph had a poor attendance track record. He struggled with education as a result of the instability at home.

In 1976, at the age of 18, Ralph Menzies was first convicted of aggravated robbery. He was sentenced to a term of five years to life in prison. Two years later, he escaped from Utah State Prison with another inmate. After escaping, he committed more crimes, including the robbery and shooting of a taxi driver. He faced multiple legal issues and was sentenced again for aggravated robbery and escape.

Ralph was eventually paroled on October 9, 1984. However, he was caught a year later in December 1985 for attempted theft. Following this, he was released on bail just days before committing a serious crime.

On February 23, 1986, Maurine Forschen Hunsaker, a 26-year-old gas station attendant, went missing after her shift at a gas station in Kearns, Utah. Her husband, Jim Hunsaker, called her but did not receive a response. When he arrived at the gas station, he found that Maurine and her belongings were gone, including $116 from the cash register. Around 11:05 PM, he received a phone call from Maurine. She sounded scared and told him that someone had kidnapped her, but she said she would be released soon. The call ended abruptly before they could discuss more.

Two days later, on February 25, a hiker discovered Maurine's body near the Storm Mountain picnic area in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Her neck was slit, and marks on her wrists indicated that she had been tied up. The autopsy revealed that she had died from ligature strangulation, and the cut to her neck also contributed to her death.

Investigations linked Ralph Menzies to the murder. He had been detained on unrelated burglary charges the day before Maurine's body was found. When searched, authorities discovered four of Maurine's identification cards in his possession. Witnesses, including two high school students, saw a woman resembling Maurine and a man matching Menzies’ description together at Storm Mountain on the morning of her disappearance.

Menzies's friend, Troy Denter, testified that he had loaned his car to Menzies on the day of the murder. Witnesses identified a car similar to Denter’s that was seen in the area of Maurine's disappearance. When questioned by police, Menzies denied involvement but claimed that he had picked up Maurine and another woman and that an argument occurred before he dropped them off.

Police later searched Menzies's apartment and found Maurine's purse and some of the missing cash. A knife was also recovered, which could have caused the injuries to Maurine's neck. Subsequent DNA tests confirmed that Maurine’s fingerprint was found in Denter’s car.

After gathering sufficient evidence, Menzies was arrested and charged with the murder of Maurine Hunsaker. During his time in custody, a cellmate reported that Menzies admitted to killing Maurine, stating that it gave him a thrill.

Menzies stood trial beginning on February 18, 1988. He faced charges of murder and kidnapping. The prosecution argued that he kidnapped Maurine from her workplace and murdered her, while the defense sought a lesser charge of second-degree murder. On March 8, 1988, the jury found Menzies guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping.

On March 23, 1988, he was sentenced to death by firing squad. His execution was scheduled but delayed due to appeals. Over the next three decades, Menzies remained on death row, filing multiple appeals against his sentence, which were mostly rejected.

After years of legal battles, on January 17, 2024, Utah state lawyers announced they were seeking an execution date for Menzies. Defense lawyers argued that he was mentally incompetent to face execution due to dementia. As legal proceedings continued, Maurine's family sought closure for the long years since her murder.