The state of Oklahoma is scheduled to carry out the execution of 52-year-old Raymond Johnson on Thursday at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. Johnson was convicted of the June 2007 murders of his former girlfriend, 24-year-old Brooke Whitaker, and her 7-month-old daughter, Kya.
The deaths occurred following an early morning dispute at Whitaker’s Tulsa home. According to court records and prosecutors, Johnson attacked Whitaker with a metal claw hammer, inflicting more than 20 wounds and fracturing her skull.
Despite the severity of her injuries, investigators stated that Whitaker remained conscious and pleaded for her life and the safety of her infant daughter.
“She begged him to call 911. She begged him to let her mom come get baby Kya. She begged him to think of her children,” the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office detailed in documents prepared for a clemency hearing.
READ: Xi Warns Of ‘Clashes’ Over Taiwan As Trump Eyes ‘Fantastic Future’ In Beijing
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Johnson retrieved a gasoline can from a backyard shed, poured the fuel over Whitaker and throughout the house, and ignited the scene using a lit dishtowel. Whitaker succumbed to a combination of head trauma and smoke inhalation. Her daughter, Kya, died from severe burns.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond released a statement regarding the case, describing Johnson as “a cruel murderer who inflicted unimaginable pain and suffering on his victims.”
Throughout his appeals process, Johnson’s legal team argued that his original arrest was illegal and that his confession was coerced. They also claimed his trial attorney conceded guilt without Johnson’s consent. However, these arguments were unsuccessful. In April, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 5-0 to deny him clemency.
During that April hearing, Johnson expressed remorse for the crimes.
READ: Florida Death Row Inmate Fights Execution As Attorneys Point To Mystery Fingerprint
“I apologize. No excuses, no justifications, a sincere apology,” Johnson said in a recorded interview with the group Death Penalty Action. “Look at my life. Look how I’ve changed. I’m living a remorseful life.”
The victims’ family members remained firm in their support of the death penalty. Logan Kleck, Whitaker’s oldest daughter, wrote to the board stating that while the execution would not bring her family back, “What it will do is finally stop him from continuing to hurt us.”
Johnson previously served nine years of a 20-year sentence for a 1996 manslaughter conviction. If the lethal injection proceeds as planned, he will be the second inmate executed in Oklahoma this year and the 11th in the United States in 2026.
No last-minute appeals were pending with the U.S. Supreme Court as of Thursday morning.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
