A convicted murderer, Richard Djerf, who is facing execution for the killing of four members of the Luna family, including a five-year-old boy, has penned a letter seeking forgiveness. The tragic incident occurred over 30 years ago in the Luna family’s residence. Djerf expressed remorse for the anguish he caused in the letter, stating, “If I can’t find reason to spare my life, what reason would anyone else have? I hope my death brings some measure of peace.”
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office, responsible for pursuing the execution of Djerf, has refrained from commenting on his apology. Despite the plea for forgiveness, the 55-year-old Djerf is still slated to receive a lethal injection on October 17, marking decades since the deaths of Albert Luna Sr, his wife Patricia, their daughter Rochelle, and son Damien.
According to prosecutors, Djerf harbored a grudge against Albert Luna Jr, a family member, whom he blamed for the theft of electronics from his apartment. This led him to orchestrate a plan of revenge, culminating in a violent attack at the Luna family’s residence in Phoenix, Arizona, where he posed as a flower delivery person to gain entry.
If the scheduled execution proceeds, it will be the second time Arizona has employed the death penalty this year. Florida has carried out 12 executions in 2022, with the most recent being the capital punishment of David Joseph Pittman. In a chilling account of the tragic events, authorities revealed that Djerf sexually assaulted Rochelle, assaulted Albert Luna Sr with a baseball bat before stabbing and shooting him, and then tied Patricia and Damien to chairs before fatally shooting them.
In a surprising twist, Djerf’s recent statement absolved Albert Jr of any blame, portraying him as an innocent bystander who returned home to a harrowing scene. Djerf acknowledged Albert Jr’s innocence, stating, “No part of what I did to his family, or why, was ever his fault.”
Arizona, currently housing 108 death row inmates, recently executed Aaron Brian Gunches for the 2002 murder of Ted Price. The state resumed executions in 2022 after a nearly eight-year hiatus due to various challenges, including drug procurement difficulties and criticism over a botched execution in 2014 involving Joseph Wood, who endured a prolonged and agonizing death process.