Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has taken a step forward in the decades-old case of Richard Djerf, convicted of brutally murdering four members of the Luna family in 1993. Mayes filed a motion with the Arizona Supreme Court on Friday to set a briefing schedule related to a forthcoming motion seeking a warrant of execution for Djerf. As reported by the Attorney General's Office, the motion highlights the state's intention to proceed under A.R.S. § 13–759(A) and Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 31.23(b).
"I will continue to enforce the death penalty because it is the law in Arizona and victims deserve justice," said Attorney General Mayes, according to the Attorney General's Office press release. Mayes emphasized the gravity of the crimes, stating, "The heinous murders by Richard Djerf of the Luna family, including their five year old son, shock the conscience – and their loved ones have waited 32 years to see justice served." The statement encapsulates a long-awaited move towards closure for the family's survivors and a moment where legal proceedings intersect with public sentiment.
The attachment of the state’s proposed motion for the Warrant of Execution with the filing serves as a formal disclosure of the legal actions the Attorney General's Office is taking. The documents outline the legal foundation for such a request and provide the road map towards an eventual execution date, should the warrant be granted by the Arizona Supreme Court.
In Arizona, the death penalty remains a contentious legal and moral issue. The Attorney General's Office assertion that "my office is committed to upholding the rule of law and standing with victims who have endured unimaginable loss" mirrors the position that justice systems across the nation must often navigate – balancing the scales of justice with the personal tragedies at the heart of such cases.
