This line indicates that Richard Rojem, aged 66, has completed all legal appeals regarding his case. As a result, he is now scheduled to undergo execution by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
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Oklahoma intends to carry out the execution of a man on Thursday. He was convicted in 1984 of kidnapping, raping, and murdering a 7-year-old girl.
During a recent clemency hearing, Rojem, appearing via video link from prison in a red uniform and handcuffs, denied responsibility for the murder of his former stepdaughter, Layla Cummings.
Her mutilated body, partially clothed, was found in a field near Burns Flat, Oklahoma, in 1984. Rojem acknowledged his troubled past: "I wasn’t a good human being for the first part of my life, and I don’t deny that. But I went to prison, I learned my lesson, and I left all that behind."
The parole board unanimously said no to Rojem's request for clemency. His lawyer, Jack Fisher, confirmed there are no pending appeals to stop the scheduled execution.
Rojem had previously been found guilty of raping two teenage girls in Michigan. Prosecutors say he was angry at Layla Cummings for reporting his sexual abuse. That led to his divorce from her mother and his return to prison for breaking his parole.
Layla's mother, Mindy Lynn Cummings, shared her sadness: "For many years, the shock of losing her and knowing the sheer terror, pain, and suffering she endured at the hands of this soulless monster was unbearable day to day," she wrote to the parole board.
Rojem's defense argued that DNA evidence from the girl’s fingernails did not link him to the crime. They asked for clemency, so his sentence would change to life in prison without a chance for parole.
Fisher said, "If my client’s DNA isn't found, he shouldn't be found guilty." Prosecutors said other evidence showed Rojem was involved. They found a fingerprint outside the girl’s apartment on a cup from a bar Rojem went to before the kidnapping. They also said a condom wrapper near the body was like one found in Rojem’s bedroom.
In 1985, a jury in Washita County found Rojem guilty after just 45 minutes of discussing the case. His previous death sentences were overturned twice due to mistakes made during the trials. In 2007, a jury in Custer County gave him his third death sentence.
Oklahoma has executed more prisoners per person than any other state since the death penalty came back in 1976. They have carried out 12 executions since restarting lethal injections in October 2021, after stopping for almost six years due to issues during executions in 2014 and 2015.
People against the death penalty planned to have vigils on Thursday at the governor's house in Oklahoma City and at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
