In Arkansas, Bruce Ward, on the state’s death row longer than any other person, died of natural causes earlier this month, KARK.com reported. The 68-year-old Ward was sentenced to death in 1990 for the murder of 18-year-old Rebecca Doss the year before, according to KARK.
In Florida, a jury deliberated for two hours before opting for a life without parole sentence instead of death for 21-year-old Anthawn Ragan earlier the month, according to CBS News.
Ragan was found guilty in April of the first-degree murder of 21-year-old Luis Perez last November. Ragan still faces murder charges in another shooting in November that killed 10-year-old Aaron Vu and wounded his father, Hai Vu. That trial is scheduled for next year.
In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill earlier this month that will protect people with intellectual disabilities from being sentenced to death. HB 123 modifies the state’s previous law to lower the standard of proof of intellectual disability from “beyond a reasonable doubt” to “preponderance of evidence.” In addition, the determination of intellectual disability will occur in a pretrial hearing instead of by a jury deliberating guilt.
In Utah, the state Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling earlier this month vacating Stewart Carter’s death sentence because he was denied his constitutional right to due process, the Utah News Dispatch reported. Carter’s previous death sentence was also overturned. According to the News Dispatch, the state Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling found that prosecutors had violated Carter’s rights during his trial and sentencing. Carter was charged with the 1985 murder of Eva Olsesen during a home invasion robbery.
Also in Utah this month, a hearing was set for Utah 3rd District Judge Matthew Bates to determine the mental competency of Ralph Leroy Menzies, sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of 26-year-old Maurine Hunker in 1986, KUTV reported. Menzies initially opted for firing squad before the state discontinued that method of execution. According to KUTV, Menzies’ lawyers maintain he has vascular dementia and doesn’t understand what he did or why he’s facing execution and is, therefore, ineligible to be executed. In the next 60 days, Judge Bates said he would decide whether the state should kill Menzies.