TULSA, Okla. — Raymond Johnson was executed Thursday after the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board unanimously rejected his request for clemency for the 2007 murders of his ex-girlfriend and her infant daughter.
Police say in 2007 Johnson beat Brooke Whittaker with a hammer and set her house on fire. Whittaker and her 7-month-old daughter, Kaya, were both inside.
WATCH: Oklahoma man executed for 2007 double murder of woman, infant daughter
At a recent hearing, Johnson's lawyers argued he is a changed man, citing a bipolar disorder diagnosis and his work mentoring other inmates. But prosecutors showed he made those same claims before committing the murders.
Whittaker's family asked the board to deny clemency.
Amy Pennington, Brooke Whittaker's sister, said:
"We've been waiting for nearly 20 years for justice to be served, carrying this loss with us every day. We've done our part, endured this, grieved, remembered, so we just want this chapter to be closed today."
Johnson apologized to the family, but the family says they still remember Johnson smiling at them in the courtroom during his confession.
Johnson was pronounced dead at 10:12 a.m.
According to reporters who witnessed the execution, Johnson's last words were apologies to the family and that he hoped they could forgive him.
Whittaker's family said those words were a little too late.
Angie Short, Whittaker's sister, spoke for the family. Whittaker's mother died in 2024, and the family is frustrated that she was unable to see justice due to varying delays.
"If it's a cut-and-dry case like this, and so horrific, I don't understand why it had to take 20 years," said Short. "We will no longer have to see his face on TV. He is no longer associated with Brooke and Kya, and we can finally begin to heal."
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond released a statement following Johnson's execution.
“Justice has been served for Brooke Whitaker and her infant daughter, Kya. Their lives were taken far too soon in a heinous act of violence,” Drummond said. “I pray that Brooke's and Kya’s family find some measure of peace today after enduring unimaginable pain and grief for nearly two decades.”
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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