Raymond Eugene Johnson was executed Thursday morning at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester for the 2007 killings of his former girlfriend and her infant daughter in Tulsa.
Johnson, 52, was pronounced dead at 10:12 a.m. after receiving a lethal injection, according to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. The execution marked Oklahoma’s second execution of 2026.
Johnson was sentenced to death for the deaths of 24-year-old Brooke Whitaker and her 7-month-old daughter, Kya, who were found inside a burned Tulsa home in June 2007. Prosecutors said Johnson attacked Whitaker with a hammer before setting the residence on fire while the child was inside. Whitaker later died from her injuries, while Kya died from burns suffered in the fire.
Court records showed Johnson and Whitaker had previously been in a relationship that had become volatile before the killings. Johnson was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson in 2009.
His execution proceeded after the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board unanimously denied clemency last month. Attorneys representing Johnson argued during the clemency process that he had changed during his time on death row and accepted responsibility for the crimes.
According to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Johnson’s final meal request included 12 boneless chicken pieces, a pint of gizzards, fried pickles, and four packets each of hot sauce and ranch dressing.
Johnson had previously served prison time in an unrelated manslaughter case before being released on parole years before the Tulsa killings.
Johnson’s execution was the 17th carried out by Oklahoma since the state resumed executions in 2021 after a yearslong pause. He had been housed on death row at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester for more than 15 years following his conviction.