It’s been nearly 40 years since Maurine Hunsaker was murdered, and her family members are closer now than they’ve ever been to what they believe will be justice: Watching her killer, Ralph Menzies, be executed.

That’s supposed to happen in 21 days. But Menzies has asked Utah’s parole board to commute his sentence, and spare him from a death by firing squad on Sept. 5 — a method he chose shortly after his conviction decades ago.

Hunsaker’s family on Friday tearfully pleaded with parole board members to deny Menzies’ pleas for mercy.

They were frustrated that this court process had taken so long. They spoke about how traumatic it has been to see Menzies in court or on the news for decades, a wound reopening each time he filed another appeal or a new challenge to his conviction.

Of the ei

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