Death row inmate’s final meal revealed after brutally murdering four members of same family
Richard Kenneth Djerf was executed in Arizona on Friday, October 17, after spending more than 30 years on death row for killing four members of one family. He was 55 years old and died by lethal injection.
Back in September 1993, Djerf, who was 23 at the time, carried out a horrific attack on the Luna family in Phoenix. He killed Albert Luna Sr., his wife Patricia, their 18-year-old daughter Rochelle, and their 5-year-old son Damien. Djerf believed Albert, a former co-worker, had stolen electronics from his apartment. Seeking revenge, he broke into their home and terrorized them.
According to reports, Djerf held Patricia and Damien at gunpoint, tied them up, and waited for Rochelle to come home. When she arrived, he tied her up too, then raped and killed her. He told Patricia about it and cruelly forced her to make an impossible choice about who would die next — her or her son.
When Albert returned home, Djerf attacked him with a baseball bat and later shot him several times. He also shot Patricia and Damien before setting parts of the home on fire and escaping in the family’s car. Djerf later admitted to the crimes and pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in 1995. He was sentenced to death.
Over the years, Djerf appealed his sentence multiple times, but all appeals were denied by 2021. In his final months, he accepted his fate, writing that if he couldn’t find a reason to spare his own life, no one else should either, and that he hoped his death might bring peace to others.
Before his execution, the Arizona Department of Corrections confirmed his last meal: a double cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, onion rings with ketchup, and a slice of cherry pie topped with whipped cream. He also had a large Pepsi with ice. Djerf refused to make any final statement before the lethal injection was given.
Officials said he cooperated fully during the execution process, though it took several tries to find a good vein for the IV. The procedure began at 10:05 a.m., and he was declared dead at 10:40 a.m.
His death closed a dark chapter in Arizona’s history, ending a case that had haunted the Luna family’s loved ones for more than three decades.
