Arizona sets date for state’s next execution

PHOENIX — Arizona has set the date for the state’s next execution, just months after carrying out the first execution in over two years.

Death row inmate Richard Djerf will be executed on October 17, according to the Arizona Supreme Court. 

Djerf was convicted of killing a family of four in 1993. 

Police believe Djerf showed up at the home of the Luna family seeking revenge for an apparent burglary allegedly involving Albert Luna Jr. Djerf posed as a flower deliveryman. When he went inside, Albert was not there, but his mother and 5-year-old brother were.

Djerf tied them up. Then, when Albert Luna Jr.’s 18-year-old sister came home, Djerf bound her and sexually assaulted her before stabbing her to death.

The horror continued when Albert Luna Sr. arrived. Djerf attacked him with a metal baseball bat before shooting him. He then killed the mother and daughter.

It was Albert Luna Jr. who discovered the crime.

The killings shocked Arizona back in the early 90s.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said “victims deserve justice” when she announced she would pursue a warrant of execution for Djerf.

“The heinous murders by Richard Djerf of the Luna family, including their 5-year-old son, shock the conscience, and their loved ones have waited 32 years to see justice served. My office is committed to upholding the rule of law and standing with victims who have endured unimaginable loss,” she said.

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