Janice R. Andrews
Following his last dinner of Little Caesar’s pizza and vanilla ice cream, Richard Rojem Jr., the Oklahoma man found guilty of the 1984 rape and murder of his former stepdaughter Layla Cummings, was put to death on Thursday morning. Rojem, 66, ordered two cups of vanilla ice cream and two tiny double-cheese, double-pepperoni pizzas. A bottle of Vernor’s ginger ale was also requested, according to The Oklahoman.
Rojem was executed at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester with a lethal injection of three drugs. As of 10:16 a.m., jail authorities proclaimed him deceased. Notably, Rojem said nothing more than “I don’t” in his final statement and did not request a last-minute stay of execution. He was lying tied to a gurney with an IV in his left tattooed arm, saying, “I’ve said my goodbyes.”
According to The Oklahoman, this is Oklahoma’s second execution of 2024 and its 13th since the state reinstated the death penalty in October 2021 following a break of more than six years. Rojem was the prisoner on Oklahoma’s death row with the longest-serving term, having been there since 1985.
Rojem has continuously denied being accountable for the horrific act against Layla Cummings, whose half-dressed and disfigured body was found on July 7, 1984, in a remote area in Washita County, close to Burns Flat. The youngster had been killed by stabbing, rape, and kidnapping. “Justice for Layla Cummings was finally served this morning with the execution of the monster responsible for her rape and murder,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement after the execution. For over 40 years, Layla’s family has experienced unspeakable misery. I hope that people who loved her can find some solace in today’s deed.”
Drummond had persuaded the state pardon and parole board to deny Rojem clemency earlier in the month. Before the 1984 murder, Rojem had raped two adolescent girls, for which he served four years in a Michigan jail, according to Drummond’s disclosure of his past criminal record.
The prosecution said that Rojem was resentful of Cummings because she had come forth about his sexual abuse, which resulted in his divorce from her mother and his sentencing back to jail for breaking his parole. At the time of the murder, the mother and Rojem had been separated for around two months.
Rojem’s counsel argued at last month’s clemency hearing that Cummings’ fingernails had DNA evidence that did not connect him to the crime. Attorney Jack Fisher contended, “My client should not be convicted if his DNA is not present.” Prosecutors did, however, also offer other damning evidence, such as a condom wrapper discovered close to Cummings’ corpse that matched a used condom from Rojem’s bedroom and a fingerprint on a cup outside her apartment.
A Washita County jury found Rojem guilty in 1985 after just forty-five minutes of deliberation. Due to trial mistakes, his death convictions were reversed twice by appeal courts; but, in 2007, a Custer County jury finally found him guilty of a third execution.
While incarcerated for the rape of the two girls, Rojem, who was 26 years old at the time of the murder, wed Mindy Cummings, the mother of the victim. After receiving parole in 1982 and meeting Mindy through her brother, who was also his cellmate, he relocated to Oklahoma.
Following her execution, Mindy Lynn Cummings made the following statement, which Attorney General Drummond read aloud: “We remember, honor, and hold her forever in our hearts as the sweet and precious 7-year-old she was.” Today is the last day of justice for the horrible deeds committed by Richard Rojem about 40 years ago when he took her away like the monster he was, as decided by three different juries.”
Rojem became a Zen Buddhist while incarcerated and was referred to as Daiji by his fellow adherents. During a parole board hearing earlier this month, Rojem acknowledged his background and said, “I don’t dispute that I wasn’t a nice human being for the beginning portion of my life. However, I was imprisoned. I moved past all of that after learning my lesson.”
The death of Richard Rojem Jr. marks the end of a difficult chapter for Layla Cummings’ family and provides some closure after nearly four decades of agony, even if Oklahoma still uses the death penalty.
