Arizona to Execute Man Who Killed 4 Family Members Over 30 Years Ago

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PHOENIX – Richard Kenneth Djerf, 55, is slated for execution by pentobarbital injection Friday at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. This marks Arizona’s second execution of the year, bringing the national total to 39 if carried out, and the fourth this week across the country.

Djerf was convicted of the vengeful 1993 murders of four members of the Luna family: Albert Luna Sr., Patricia Luna, their 18-year-old daughter Rochelle Luna, and 5-year-old son Damien Luna. He pleaded guilty to the killings and has been incarcerated for over 29 years, opting not to seek clemency.

Prosecutors allege Djerf’s motive stemmed from an obsession with revenge, blaming another family member, Albert Luna Jr., for an earlier theft of electronics from his apartment. Months after the theft, Djerf reportedly arrived at the Luna home under the guise of delivering flowers.

According to authorities, Djerf sexually assaulted and slashed Rochelle Luna’s throat. He then beat Albert Luna Sr. with an aluminum baseball bat, followed by stabbing and shooting him. Patricia and Damien Luna were tied to kitchen chairs before being fatally shot.

During Friday’s scheduled execution, a team of four, including medical doctors and a phlebotomist, will prepare and administer the pentobarbital. Arizona’s execution protocols have faced scrutiny in the past, particularly regarding the time taken to insert IVs during lethal injections. Experts suggest the process, from IV insertion to pronouncement of death, should take approximately seven to ten minutes.

The state has twice halted executions since 2014 due to concerns over its use of the death penalty. An almost eight-year hiatus followed a 2014 execution deemed botched, where Joseph Wood received 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours, exhibiting repeated snorting and gasping before his death.

Executions resumed in 2022, with three prisoners put to death. They were paused again in 2023 after Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs initiated a review of capital punishment protocols, and Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes agreed to a temporary halt. The review concluded in November 2024 when Hobbs dismissed a retired federal magistrate she had appointed, and the state corrections department announced changes to the lethal injection team.

Arizona’s last execution occurred in mid-March, when Aaron Brian Gunches was put to death for the 2002 murder of Ted Price. The state currently has 108 prisoners on death row.


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