OK - Layla Dawn Cummings, 7, murdered & raped by step-father in 1984, execution date set for death row inmate, Richard Rojem, 27 Jun 2024

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imstilla.grandma

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An execution date has been set for death row inmate Richard Rojem.

He was convicted of first-degree murder in Washita County for the 1984 murder and rape of his 7-year-old step-daughter, Layla Dawn Cummings.

He's been incarcerated for nearly four decades and is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at 10 a.m. June 27 at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

*original article:
Authorities have said they think 7-year-old Layla was abducted from her bed early July 7 as she and her 9-year-old brother slept alone in the family's Elk City apartment. The children's mother had left them alone to work the late shift at a local fast food restaurant.

A motel night clerk, who had been asked to watch the small apartment across the road, discovered Layla was missing when he went over to see why an outdoor light had been turned off. Authorities said the apartment door could not be locked.

Later that morning, Layla was found in her mother's nightgown in a field near Foss, stabbed several times, possibly with a hunting knife, authorities said. Investigators also say they believe she was raped, although laboratory evidence has not proved conclusive.

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Thank you - that is a lot of proof against Layla’s EX-stepfather - her mother divorced him 2 months before the murder.
 
not specific to this case, but it pisses me off that, if the death penalty is approved for a prisoner, it takes DECADES for it to go ahead. so...the person spent their healthiest 'best' years alive albeit in state custody*. as soon as they get old enough that their quality of life may be going down, and the cost of housing them + medical care would increase for the prison... the lethal injection goes ahead. im iffy on the DP in general (mostly due to possibility of false convictions) but if its supposed to be punitive, i dont understand the system.
* one could argue that spending a lifetime in custody is the punishment. in that case, why pursue the DP at all...
 
not specific to this case, but it pisses me off that, if the death penalty is approved for a prisoner, it takes DECADES for it to go ahead. so...the person spent their healthiest 'best' years alive albeit in state custody*. as soon as they get old enough that their quality of life may be going down, and the cost of housing them + medical care would increase for the prison... the lethal injection goes ahead. im iffy on the DP in general (mostly due to possibility of false convictions) but if its supposed to be punitive, i dont understand the system.
* one could argue that spending a lifetime in custody is the punishment. in that case, why pursue the DP at all...
Thirty years later is not punitive at all.
 
"I have become weary all these years pressing against that prison door trying to keep him in," Vicky Cummings, Layla's aunt, said. "Having to relive and reiterate this horror time and time again"

Over the past four decades, three different juries have sentenced Rojem to death, but the first two convictions were overturned due to jury errors.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said Rojem is a "real-life monster who deserves the same absence of mercy he showed to the child he savagely murdered."

"An innocent man doesn't ever plead guilty to a crime he hasn't committedm," Rojem said. "The reason for that is obvious, if there's justice to be had, it won't be had."

Rojem was unanimously denied clemency in June, and now his execution is scheduled for 10 a.m.

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not specific to this case, but it pisses me off that, if the death penalty is approved for a prisoner, it takes DECADES for it to go ahead. so...the person spent their healthiest 'best' years alive albeit in state custody*. as soon as they get old enough that their quality of life may be going down, and the cost of housing them + medical care would increase for the prison... the lethal injection goes ahead. im iffy on the DP in general (mostly due to possibility of false convictions) but if its supposed to be punitive, i dont understand the system.
* one could argue that spending a lifetime in custody is the punishment. in that case, why pursue the DP at all...
The whole concept of appeals is to make sure that an innocent person is not sentenced for a crime that they did not commit. Some cases are more convincing than others. At the end of the day, one innocent person in jail or executed, is one too many. And sadly many time a innocent person admits to a crime they did not committed. Regardless of the details, it happens.The system is blind, at the end of the day it is there to limit the amount of innocent people persecuted/punish for crimes that they did not commit.
I am not sure how someone's quality goes down while being in prison. I mean unless they are diagnosed with a debilitating disease, their life is really not that great. Some death row imates are in their cell 23 hours a day. Whether they are young and fit or old and frail, that doesn't change. They are given the base necessities. They are not living the great life.
 
Laya's mother, Mindy Lynn Cummings, witnessed Rojem's execution, and said in a statement, "Today marks the final chapter of justice."

"Today, as we near the anniversary of Layla-Dawn's horrific death on July 7th, we remember, honor, and hold her forever in our hearts as the sweet and precious 7-year-old she was," Cummings' statement reads.

Layla Cummings
In the statement, Cummings called Rojem's actions "heinous" and said he stole Layla "away like the monster he was."

"He deserved nothing less than today's final justice for the savage, barbaric, and torturous acts of suffering he inflicted upon Layla-Dawn before then ending her life," according to the statement.
Oklahoma executes Richard Rojem Jr. in ex-stepdaughter's murder: 'Final chapter of justice'

May Mindy at long last feel some peace in her heart, knowing that man is finally dead.
 
"Justice for Layla Cummings was finally served this morning with the execution of the monster responsible for her rape and murder," Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond wrote on X. "My prayer is that today's action brings a sense of comfort to those who loved her."

Rojem's official time of death was 10:16 a.m.

A family statement by Mindy Lynn Cummings said, "Today, as we near the anniversary of Layla-Dawn's horrific death on July 7, we remember, honor, and hold her forever in our hearts as the sweet and precious 7-year-old she was. Today marks the final chapter of justice determined by three separate juries for Richard Rojem's heinous acts nearly 40 years ago when he stole her away like the monster he was. He deserved nothing less than today's final justice for the savage, barbaric, and torturous acts of suffering he inflicted upon Layla-Dawn before then ending her life."

The family statement added, "Today, we also honor the memory of Layla and Jason's father, Don Cummings, who is not with us today due to the absolute evil of a monster who purposely tormented him to the brink of despair that ended his life. Despite the tragic loss of their father and the lasting impact of his loss to us and all who loved him, the unimaginable pain and suffering endured by Layla's then surviving 9-year-old brother, and to me -- her mother, today is a solemn reminder that justice must prevail for Layla alone."
 
What took them so long. He should have been in the diamond lane for his trip to haedes.

Amateur opinion and speculation
 
not specific to this case, but it pisses me off that, if the death penalty is approved for a prisoner, it takes DECADES for it to go ahead. so...the person spent their healthiest 'best' years alive albeit in state custody*. as soon as they get old enough that their quality of life may be going down, and the cost of housing them + medical care would increase for the prison... the lethal injection goes ahead. im iffy on the DP in general (mostly due to possibility of false convictions) but if its supposed to be punitive, i dont understand the system.
* one could argue that spending a lifetime in custody is the punishment. in that case, why pursue the DP at all...
I approve of the death penalty but the biggest problem I have with it is that it takes entirely too long to carry out the execution. In the cases where a child is murdered, the death penalty should be mandatory. JMO
 

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