Raymond Eugene Johnson (March 26, 1974 – May 14, 2026) was an American convicted murderer who killed his ex-girlfriend and her infant daughter in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2007, shortly after being paroled from a previous manslaughter conviction in 1995. For the latter crimes, Johnson was sentenced to death, and was executed by lethal injection on May 14, 2026.[1]
Raymond Eugene Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 26, 1974 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | May 14, 2026 (aged 52) Oklahoma State Penitentiary, McAlester, Oklahoma, U.S. |
Criminal status | Executed by lethal injection |
| Convictions | First degree murder (2 counts) First degree manslaughter First degree arson |
Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 3 |
Span of crimes | 1995–2007 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oklahoma |
Date apprehended | For the final time on June 24, 2007 |
| Imprisoned at | Oklahoma State Penitentiary, McAlester, Oklahoma |
First homicide
editOn September 11, 1995, the 21-year-old Johnson was in the company of 25-year-old Clarence Ray Oliver in Oklahoma City when the pair got into an argument. In the ensuing scuffle, Johnson pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot Oliver, who got into his car and attempted to drive away, and was then shot through the passenger side window. The car crashed into a nearby ditch, where it was found the following day.[2]
About two weeks later, Johnson was questioned by detectives regarding the murder and was soon arrested for the murder.[3] In the ensuing trial, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.[4]
Release and double murder
editAfter being paroled in 2005, Johnson moved to Tulsa, where he entered a relationship with a woman named Brooke Whitaker, a mother of four children. Their relationship quickly deteriorated as Johnson became physically abusive, stalked her, and even threatened to kill her on more than ten occasions. Due to this, she eventually filed a restraining order against him in April 2007, but the order was dropped the following month when neither party attended a court hearing scheduled for May 21.[5]
On June 23, Johnson went to Whitaker's home, where he brutally beat her with a hammer, almost to the point of cracking her skull. He then doused her in gasoline, lit her on fire, and fled. Whitaker suffered severe burns, and her 7-month-old daughter, Kya, burned to death.[6] Firefighters brought Whitaker to Hillcrest Medical Center, where she died of her injuries.[4] Shortly after the discovery of the crime, an arrest warrant was issued for Johnson.[7] He was arrested later that same day in Coweta and extradited to Tulsa, where he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson.[4] According to the arrest report submitted by the Tulsa Police Department, Johnson admitted to both slayings.[5]
Trial and imprisonment
editJury selection for Johnson's trial took place in June 2009, with prosecutors announcing that they would seek the death penalty against him.[6] Not long after, Johnson was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death for each of the murder charges and to life imprisonment on the arson charge.[8][9] He did not offer a statement after the verdict, and the verdict itself was welcomed by the victims' family members.[9]
Following his incarceration on death row, all of Johnson's appeals were rejected by the respective courts.[10] His final appeal was denied by the Supreme Court in November 2019, allowing for an execution date to be set.[11]
Execution
editExecution warrants and clemency
editOn July 1, 2022, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals set execution dates for 25 state death row inmates, including Johnson. He was scheduled to be executed on May 2, 2024.[12] His execution was later postponed due to a request by attorney general Gentner Drummond, who asked for 60 days between executions rather than 30 "to alleviate the burden on DOC personnel."[13]
On February 12, 2026, just after the execution of Kendrick Simpson, Attorney General Drummond filed a new motion at the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals requesting a second execution date for Johnson. The petition requested an execution date of May 14, 2026.[14] On February 25, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals granted Drummond's request, setting May 14, 2026 as Johnson's execution date.[15] On April 8, Johnson was unanimously denied clemency by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board.[16]
Lethal injection
editOn May 14, 2026, Johnson was executed by lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 10:12 a.m. CDT.[17] Johnson's last meal consisted of chicken, a pint of gizzards, and fried pickles with hot sauce and ranch dressing. In his final statement, Johnson apologized to the victims family and asked for forgiveness stating he “hopes people can speak their names without his name attached to it”.[18]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Double murderer Raymond Eugene Johnson executed in Oklahoma".
- ↑ Steve Lackmeyer (September 12, 1995). "Gunmen Sought in Shootings". The Oklahoman – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Man Jailed In City Slaying". The Oklahoman. September 28, 1995 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 "Man arrested after two found dead". Times Record News. June 25, 2007 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "Threats reported, police say". The Oklahoman. June 27, 2007 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "Jury to be chosen in trial for murder, arson". Okmulgee Daily Times. June 16, 2009 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Bodies of woman, infant found in fire". The Oklahoman. June 24, 2007 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Bill Braun (June 26, 2009). "GUILTY VERDICT IN SLAYING". Tulsa World – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 Bill Braun (July 29, 2009). "Man gets death in '07 murders". Tulsa World – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "High court: Justices reject appeals of four men". The Oklahoman. October 2, 2012. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Chris Casteel (November 26, 2019). "Man who killed girlfriend, infant loses final appeal". The Oklahoman.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Barbara Hoberock (July 1, 2022). "Court sets 25 execution dates for Oklahoma death-row inmates". Tulsa World.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Clay, Nolan. "Richard Glossip, six other Oklahoma death row inmates get new execution dates". The Oklahoman. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ↑ Goforth, Dylan (February 12, 2026). "Kendrick Simpson executed, offers thanks to supporters but no words about the victims". The Frontier. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ↑ Clay, Nolan (February 27, 2026). "Oklahoma to execute man in May for 2007 killings of ex-girlfriend, infant". The Oklahoman. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ↑ FOX23.com News Staff. "Clemency denied for deathrow inmate convicted of 2007 double murder". Retrieved April 10, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Oklahoma executes a man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and her 7-month-old daughter". AP News. May 14, 2026. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
- ↑ Myers, Amanda Lee (May 14, 2026). "He set fire to his ex and her baby. Oklahoma just executed him". USA Today. Retrieved May 14, 2026.