Oklahoma executed Raymond Eugene Johnson on Thursday for the 2007 torture and killing of his ex-girlfriend and infant daughter in Tulsa.
Johnson, 52, was sentenced to death for torturing and killing Brooke Whitaker, 24, and her 7-month-old daughter, Kya.
Johnson’s last words before workers administered the execution drugs were an apology to the victims’ family, according to media witnesses.
“I hope this gives you closure. I hope people can speak your names without mine attached to it,” Johnson reportedly said.
Johnson showed up at Whitaker’s house in the early morning hours on June 23, 2007, and beat her with a claw hammer, causing severe head injuries and exposing her brain, according to prosecutors. She was still alive when Johnson set the house on fire with Whitaker and Kya inside. Firefighters initially mistook Kya’s body for a baby doll because of her severe burns.
At his clemency hearing on April 8, Johnson said that he had tried to plead guilty to the murders in exchange for a life-without-parole sentence to spare them the pain of further court proceedings. His attorneys told the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board that Johnson had bipolar disorder. The board voted unanimously against recommending clemency to the governor’s office.
For his last meal, Johnson requested a 12-piece boneless chicken meal, a pint of gizzards, and a side of fried pickles. He also asked for four packets of hot sauce and ranch dressing.
Justin Farris, the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, described the execution as “unremarkable.”
The execution started at 10:01 a.m. and medical staff pronounced Johnson unconscious six minutes later.
Delays in Johnson’s execution prevented Whitaker’s mother from seeing justice, said Angie Short, the victim’s aunt. Whitaker’s mother died still waiting for the execution to be carried out, Short said.
Short said Johnson’s apology before his execution was too late. She said she will never forget the details of Whitaker and Kya’s death.
“The damage he did to Brooke and the torture he put her through. The way he died today was so simple,” Short said. ”It was like putting a dog down.”
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Ashlynd Baecht joined The Frontier in 2023 as a criminal justice reporter. Contact Ashlynd at Ashlynd@readfrontier.com
