Richard Norman Rojem Jr., 66, was executed by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary after being convicted for the kidnapping, rape and murder of his former stepdaughter, 7‑year‑old Layla Dawn Cummings in 1984. Rojem had spent nearly four decades on death row, the longest‑serving inmate in the state, following multiple convictions and resentencings after procedural errors in earlier trials.
In the early morning hours of June 27, 2024, Rojem was pronounced dead at 10:16 a.m. CT. When asked if he had any last words, he said, “I don’t. I’ve said my goodbyes,” before the three‑drug injection. His final meal, served the night before, included Little Caesar’s pizza, vanilla ice cream and ginger ale — a customary last request that preceded the execution.
Rojem was originally convicted in 1985 for abducting Layla from her home in Elk City, Oklahoma; her mutilated body was found the next day in a rural field. Prosecutors linked him to the crime scene with physical evidence and testimony presented at trial. Despite his defense team’s arguments, including challenges to DNA evidence and claims of innocence, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board unanimously denied clemency earlier in June.
During his time in prison, Rojem was disciplined for misconduct but also converted to Zen Buddhism and spoke to the parole board saying he had learned from his past, even as he continued to contest his role in the crime. Prosecutors noted his previous convictions for sexually assaulting teenage girls in Michigan years before Layla’s murder.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond released a statement following the execution, noting that the outcome brought a measure of closure to Layla’s family after nearly 40 years of legal proceedings and public grief. Layla’s mother, Mindy Cummings, had previously expressed that her daughter “never got to be more than the precious 7‑year‑old that she was,” underscoring the long‑lasting impact the crime had on the family and community.
The execution marked Oklahoma’s 13th since the state resumed capital punishment in 2021, reflecting the continued use of the death penalty in cases involving heinous crimes against children. Rojem’s case remains cited in discussions about capital punishment, evidentiary standards and the appeals process in long‑running death penalty cases.
