Oklahoma has executed Raymond Eugene Johnson, who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and her 7-month-old daughter in 2007.
Johnson, 52, was pronounced dead at 10:12 a.m. Thursday, following a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. His death marks the second execution in Oklahoma in 2026.
Johnson received a death sentence in Tulsa in 2009 for two counts of first-degree murder. The jury also found him guilty of first-degree arson.
Prosecutors say Johnson repeatedly hit his ex-girlfriend, Brooke Whitaker, in the head with a metal claw hammer, despite her pleas for him to stop. Then, he set her and her seven-month-old daughter, Kya, on fire.
The Oklahoma clemency board denied Johnson's request to be spared from execution with a unanimous 5-0 vote in April. Johnson's attorneys did not file a last-minute appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court.
In addition to his first-degree murder convictions, Johnson had also served nine years of a 20-year sentence after being convicted of manslaughter in 1996.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a statement in support of the 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."
Johnson's legal team also issued a statement Thursday morning.
"Raymond readily acknowledged and accepted responsibility for the terrible mistakes he made, but he did not allow those past mistakes to define him," Johnson's federal public defender and legal team said. "His death is a huge loss to his family, his church, his fellow inmates, his legal team, and his multitude of dear friends."
There are 25 people on Oklahoma's death row, including one woman. Johnson was the 11th person put to death in the United States.
