Inmate’s Last Meal: Little Caesars Pizza Before Execution for Stepdaughter’s Murder

Inmate's Last Meal Little Caesars Pizza Before Execution for Stepdaughter's Murder
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Before being executed on Thursday morning, Richard Rojem Jr., the Oklahoma man found guilty of the 1984 rape and murder of his former stepdaughter, was given pizza and ice cream.

He ordered two small Little Caesars double-cheese, double-pepperoni pizzas and two cups of vanilla ice cream for his last dinner. A bottle of Vernors ginger ale was also requested, according to The Oklahoman.

At 10:16 a.m., Rojem, 66, was pronounced dead following a three-drug fatal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, according to prison officials. He didn’t look for a last-minute lodging.

Rojem, who was strapped to a gurney and had an IV in his left tattooed arm, responded, “I don’t,” when asked if he had any final words. I’ve bid you farewell.”

According to The Oklahoman, it was the state’s second execution of 2024 and its 13th since resuming the death penalty in October 2021 following a break of more than six years.

Rojem was the prisoner on Oklahoma’s execution row with the longest sentence, having been there since 1985.

He had denied being the cause of Layla Cummings’ death, his former stepdaughter. On July 7, 1984, the child’s partially dressed and disfigured body was found in a field in rural Washita County, close to the community of Burns Flat. She had been killed by stabbing, raped, and kidnapped.

Following Rojem’s death, Attorney General Gentner Drummond released a statement saying, “Justice for Layla Cummings was finally served this morning with the execution of the monster responsible for her rape and murder.”

“Layla’s family has endured unimaginable suffering for almost 40 years. My prayer is that today’s action brings a sense of comfort to those who loved her.”

Drummond requested earlier this month that the state pardon and parole board deny Rojem’s request for clemency.

Drummond mentioned that Rojem had been incarcerated in a Michigan jail for four years after raping two teenage females, previous to the 1984 murder.

The prosecution contended that Rojem was enraged with Cummings because she had come forward with allegations of his sexual abuse, which had resulted in his divorce from the girl’s mother and his parole violation, which had sent him back to prison. When the murder occurred, they had only been separated for roughly two months.

At this month’s clemency hearing, Rojem’s legal team contended that the girl’s fingernails had DNA evidence that did not connect him to the crime.

A fingerprint on a cup from a bar Rojem left immediately before the girl was abducted was found outside the girl’s residence, according to the prosecution, providing proof of his crimes. Prosecutors claimed that a used condom discovered in Rojem’s bedroom was connected to a condom wrapper discovered next to the girl’s body.

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In 1985, a Washita County jury found him guilty after just 45 minutes of deliberation. Due to mistakes made during the trial, appellate courts twice overturned his prior death sentences. In the end, a 2007 Custer County jury sentenced him to his third death.

According to court documents cited by The Oklahoman, Rojem, then 26 years old, wed Mindy Cummings, the victim’s mother, while he was incarcerated for the rape of the two girls.

She was his cellmate’s sister, and after being granted parole in 1982, Rojem relocated to Oklahoma.

Layla’s mother, Mindy Lynn Cummings, said in a statement read by Drummond following the execution: “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.”

According to The Oklahoman, which cited a package of documents that Rojem’s attorneys filed to the parole board, Rojem converted to Zen Buddhism while incarcerated and went by the name Daiji among his adherents.

At a parole board hearing earlier this month, Rojem stated, “I wasn’t a good human being for the first part of my life, and I don’t deny that.”

“But I went to prison. I learned my lesson and I left all that behind.”

Reference

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With more than two years of expertise in news and analysis, Eileen Stewart is a seasoned reporter. Eileen is a respected voice in this field, well-known for her sharp reporting and insightful analysis. Her writing covers a wide range of subjects, from politics to culture and more.