Clemency Unanimously Denied For Death Row Inmate Richard Rojem Jr.

Death row inmate Richard Rojem Jr. was unanimously denied clemency in a hearing on Monday.

Rojem Jr. is convicted and sentenced to death for the 1984 kidnapping, rape, and murder of his 7-year-old former stepdaughter, Layla Dawn Cummings, in Washita County. Before the murder, Rojem had served only four years in a Michigan prison for the rape of two teenage girls.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond requested that clemency be rejected for a death row prisoner scheduled to be executed later this month.

“The family of Layla Cummings has waited 40 years for justice to be done. Her killer is a real-life monster who deserves the same absence of mercy he showed to the child he savagely murdered. I urge the Pardon and Parole Board to reject the inmate’s absurd request for clemency and ensure justice is done for Layla,” said Drummond.

Rojem is scheduled to be executed June 27, 2024.