Oklahoma carried out the execution of a man who was found guilty of murdering his former girlfriend and her 7-month-old daughter nearly two decades ago.
Raymond Johnson, aged 52, was declared dead at 10:12 a.m. on Thursday after receiving a lethal injection of three drugs at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, according to prison officials. Johnson was condemned to death for the killings of 24-year-old Brooke Whitaker and her infant daughter, Kya, in June 2007.
Expressing remorse while being strapped to a gurney in the death chamber, Johnson addressed the victims’ family, stating, “To Brooke and Kya and your family, I want to apologize for my actions and the pain I caused you. I hope people can speak your names without my name attached to it. I hurt you. One day, I hope you can forgive me.”
During the execution, Johnson’s spiritual advisor, Kurt Borgmann, read passages from Scripture, and the process lasted approximately 11 minutes. A single tear shed from Johnson’s eye as Borgmann began speaking, with a doctor later confirming Johnson’s unconsciousness about six minutes after the administration of the initial drugs.
Angie Short, Whitaker’s aunt, criticized the postponements in the execution, which was initially set for May 2024, noting that Whitaker’s mother passed away about five months later.
Following the execution, Short remarked, “Because of the delays, my sister didn’t get to witness justice. This couldn’t bring them back. But we’ll no longer have to see his face on TV. He’s no longer associated with Brooke and Kya. Now I think we can finally begin to heal after 20 years.”
Prosecutors revealed that Johnson and Whitaker had a dispute at her residence in Tulsa, where Johnson repeatedly struck her head with a metal claw hammer. Whitaker suffered a fractured skull and over 20 lacerations on her face and scalp. Despite her injuries, she remained conscious and pleaded with Johnson to spare her and her sleeping daughter, Kya.
Johnson proceeded to ignite a fire at the scene, resulting in Whitaker’s death from head injuries and smoke inhalation, while her daughter succumbed to severe burns.
Oklahoma’s Attorney General Gentner Drummond expressed hopes for the victims’ families to find solace after enduring immense pain and sorrow for nearly two decades.
Johnson’s legal team did not pursue a last-minute appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to halt his execution, having previously argued against the legality of his arrest and the confession obtained by the police. In April, the Pardon and Parole Board unanimously rejected Johnson’s plea for clemency, despite his expressions of remorse and claims of personal transformation.
Whitaker’s relatives supported the implementation of the lethal injection, emphasizing that it would not bring back their loved ones but would stop Johnson from causing further harm to them.
Additionally, Johnson had previously served nine years of a 20-year sentence for manslaughter in 1996. His execution marks the second in Oklahoma and the 11th in the country this year.
