OKLAHOMA CITY (March 13, 2026) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond has formally requested that the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board deny clemency for Raymond Johnson, who was sentenced to death for the brutal 2007 murders of Brooke Whitaker and her seven-month-old daughter, Kya Whitaker.
In the clemency packet filed today, Drummond detailed the horrific nature of the crimes and emphasized that Johnson has never been fully held to account for his lifetime of criminal behavior.
"Raymond Johnson is a heinous murderer who violently attacked and tortured Brooke Whitaker before ultimately setting her and her infant daughter on fire," Drummond said. "Johnson has never taken full accountability for these unconscionable acts, which not only devastated a family but also left three young children without their mother and baby sister. There must be justice for Brooke and Kya."
Evidence presented at trial showed that Johnson repeatedly struck Whitaker with a claw hammer during a prolonged assault inside her home. Despite Whitaker's pleas for help, Johnson continued the attack, striking up to twenty-four times before dousing her and the home with gasoline and setting her on fire. Whitaker's infant daughter, Kya, died from severe burns after being engulfed in the flames.
The clemency filing also outlines Johnson's extensive criminal history, including a prior homicide conviction for the 1995 killing of Clarence Oliver, and shows that the murders of Brooke and Kya were the culmination of a lifelong pattern of criminal behavior that was interrupted only when Johnson was in prison.
Johnson's clemency hearing is set for April 8. His execution is scheduled for May 14.
