True Crime Chronicles: Tulsa scumbag who killed while on parole for murder still breathing after 18 years
- Dennis McCaslin
- Jul 10
- 2 min read
On June 23, 2007, a devastating fire tore through a quiet Tulsa neighborhood, uncovering a chilling double homicide that shook the community to its core.
The victims were 24-year-old Brooke Whitaker and her seven-month-old daughter, Kya.
The perpetrator, Raymond Eugene Johnson, was a man with a violent past, recently paroled after serving time for a previous killing.
This harrowing case, marked by brutality and loss, continues to resonate as Johnson awaits his fate on Oklahoma’s death row
Raymond Eugene Johnson’s criminal history began over a decade earlier in 1995, when he fatally shot Clarence Ray Oliver during an argument in Oklahoma City.
Pleading guilty to manslaughter, Johnson was sentenced to 20 years but served only half that time before being paroled in 2005.
Relocating to Tulsa, he entered a relationship with Brooke Whitaker--a connection that would soon spiral into violence. the bond between Johnson and Whitaker quickly deteriorated.
Whitaker reported multiple instances of physical abuse and threats, even seeking a restraining order against Johnson. However, the order was dropped when she missed court appearances, leaving he
On that fateful June morning in 2007, Johnson’s rage culminated in a horrific attack. Armed with a hammer, he struck Whitaker repeatedly, doused her with gasoline, and set her ablaze. Tragically, the fire claimed the life of her infant daughter, Kya, as well.
Whitaker later succumbed to her injuries at Hillcrest Medical Center.
Hours after the crime, authorities apprehended Johnson in Coweta. He confessed to the murders, admitting to striking Whitaker multiple times and intentionally setting the fire.
Investigators uncovered critical evidence in a nearby dumpster, including bloody clothing, a claw hammer, and Whitaker’s wallet, all of which corroborated his chilling account.
In 2009, Johnson faced trial and was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson. The jury cited four aggravating factors, including Johnson’s prior violent felonies and the particularly heinous nature of the crime, leading to a death sentence for the murders and a life sentence for arson.
Despite exhausting all appeals--culminating in a 2019 U.S. Supreme Court rejection--Johnson’s execution, originally set for May 2, 2024, was postponed. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond requested the delay to address staffing concerns at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, where Johnson remains on death row.
As Johnson awaits his rescheduled execution, the Whitaker family’s tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the fragility of safety and the everlasting quest for justice.
