In a grim chapter of Arizona’s criminal justice history, Richard Kenneth Djerf, now 55, is slated for execution this Friday, marking the state’s second execution in 2023. Convicted over three decades ago for the brutal slaying of four members of a Phoenix family, Djerf’s case is a haunting reminder of the deadly consequences of revenge.
Djerf is set to receive a lethal injection of pentobarbital at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence. His victims, Albert and Patricia Luna, along with their children, Rochelle and Damien, fell prey to Djerf’s vengeful spree on September 14, 1993. After spending nearly 30 years behind bars, Djerf has opted not to pursue clemency, sealing his fate.
His execution, if carried out, will contribute to a grim tally, being the fourth in the nation this week and the 39th this year. The chilling motive behind the murders stemmed from Djerf’s fixation on Albert Luna Jr., whom he accused of stealing electronics from his apartment—a crime the young man did not witness. Driven by a twisted sense of retribution, Djerf concocted a sinister plan, posing as a flower delivery person to access the family’s home.
Once inside, the horror unfolded. Prosecutors recounted how Djerf sexually assaulted 18-year-old Rochelle before taking her life, and attacked Albert Sr. with a baseball bat, followed by stabbing and shooting him. Patricia and 5-year-old Damien were tied to chairs and shot, a chilling end to Djerf’s rampage.
As the state prepares for Friday’s execution, a carefully assembled team, including medical doctors and a phlebotomist, will oversee the injection process. They will administer a combination of saline and pentobarbital, aiming for efficiency and precision in a practice that has faced scrutiny. Arizona’s execution procedures have been criticized for delays in IV insertion, with experts suggesting a swift timeline of seven to ten minutes from the start to the declaration of death. The state has twice paused executions since 2014 due to ongoing concerns over its death penalty methods.
Authorities say Djerf sexually assaulted Rochelle Luna and slashed her throat; beat Albert Luna Sr. with an aluminum baseball bat and stabbed and shot him; and tied Patricia and Damien Luna to kitchen chairs before fatally shooting them. During Friday’s execution, a team of four people including medical doctors and a phlebotomist will prepare syringes of saline and pentobarbital, insert an IV and inject the chemicals into Djerf. Arizona has been criticized in the past for taking too long to insert IVs during lethal injection executions. Experts say it should take seven to 10 minutes from the beginning of insertion until a proclamation of death. The state has paused executions twice since 2014 amid concerns over its use of the death penalty.
There was a nearly eight-year hiatus brought on by difficulties in obtaining the needed drugs and criticism that a 2014 execution was botched: Joseph Wood was injected with 15 doses of a two-drug combination over two hours, leading him to snort repeatedly and gasp hundreds of times before he died.
Executions resumed in 2022, and three prisoners were put to death that year. They were paused again in 2023 after Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs ordered a review of the capital punishment protocol and Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes agreed not to pursue any. The review ended in November 2024, when Hobbs fired a retired federal magistrate she had appointed to examine execution procedures, and the state corrections department announced changes in the lethal injection team.
Arizona last carried out a death sentence in mid-March, executing Aaron Brian Gunches for the 2002 killing of Ted Price.
There are currently 108 prisoners on the state’s death row.
