Arizona Executes Richard Kenneth Djerf for Murder

Arizona Executes Richard Kenneth Djerf for family murder
Djerf spent 30 years in prison
Arizona resumes death penalty

Authorities in Arizona carried out the execution of Richard Kenneth Djerf, 55, by lethal injection on Friday.

He had spent more than three decades in prison after being convicted of murdering four members of a Latino family in 1993.

The crime, which deeply shocked the community, was described as one of the most brutal killings in the state’s history during that decade.

Djerf was sentenced to death in 1996 for the torture and murder of his coworker Albert Luna Sr., his wife Patricia, and their two children, Rochelle, 18, and Damien, 5.

Prosecutors said the attack was motivated by personal revenge after Djerf accused Luna of stealing from him.

Arizona Executes Richard Kenneth Djerf

EXECUTION: In 2 hours Richard Djerf is set to die by lethal injection. He killed 4 people from same family in 1993, including 5 year old boy and 18 year old girl which he sexually assaulted. This will be Arizona’s 2nd execution this year. I’m here at Florence prison. @KVOA pic.twitter.com/DO0j2Hi8bI

— Chorus Nylander KVOA (@CNylanderKVOA) October 17, 2025

According to court reports, Djerf broke into the Luna family home and violently subdued his victims.

He raped the eldest daughter, tortured the rest of the family, and then set the house on fire to destroy evidence.

The attack, prosecutors said, was premeditated and carried out with exceptional cruelty, according to CBS News.

During his trial, Djerf waived his right to legal counsel and chose to represent himself — a decision that ultimately sealed his fate.

The jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and multiple other serious charges, sentencing him to death.

The long judicial process

Arizona set to execute a man who killed 4 members of a Phoenix family in 1993 https://t.co/CDV4Dyg6Pi pic.twitter.com/shCgzNt42L

— The Independent (@Independent) October 17, 2025

After sentencing, new defense attorneys took over Djerf’s case and filed multiple appeals over the years, questioning both the trial process and his mental competency.

However, the courts upheld the conviction at every stage.

In early 2025, the Arizona Supreme Court reaffirmed the death sentence, exhausting Djerf’s final legal options.

Despite that, Djerf declined to seek clemency from the governor or the state parole board, clearing the way for his execution.

In a final written statement published by the Mountain Daily Star, Djerf expressed remorse:

“There are no words to undo what I did. I have carried that burden for 32 years, and I know the pain I caused can never be repaired. I’m sorry.”

Resumption of executions in Arizona

This marks the second execution in Arizona in 2025.

The state had suspended the death penalty in 2014 after the botched execution of Joseph Wood, whose death took nearly two hours due to a defective injection.

Following a review of its procedures, Arizona resumed executions in 2022.

The death of Richard Kenneth Djerf closes a judicial saga spanning more than three decades and serves as a painful reminder of one of the most horrific crimes in the state’s modern history.