Richard Norman Rojem Jr. was born on December 19, 1957, in Oklahoma, United States.

On July 6, 1984, seven-year-old Layla Dawn Marie Cummings was kidnapped from her apartment in Elk City, Oklahoma. At the time, she was home alone with her older brother while their mother was at work. The abductor was Richard Norman Rojem Jr., who had been previously married to Layla's mother. Rojem had a history of violent sexual crimes and had been released from prison not long before the kidnapping.

The next morning, Layla's body was found in a field near Burns Flat. The autopsy revealed that she had died from multiple stab wounds. The majority of the wounds were on her neck and genital area, indicating that she had been raped before her death.

Investigators quickly connected Rojem to the murder through evidence found at the crime scene. They discovered that the lock on Layla's apartment door had been broken, and Rojem's fingerprint was found on a cup near the apartment. This cup traced back to a bar he had visited shortly before the abduction. Additionally, a used condom wrapper found near Layla's body matched a condom found in Rojem's bedroom. Tire tracks at the murder scene were also linked to Rojem's vehicle.

Rojem was arrested and charged on July 28, 1984, with the abduction, rape, and murder of Layla Cummings. Prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty. In June 1985, Rojem was found guilty after a brief jury deliberation and sentenced to death, along with lengthy sentences for kidnapping and rape.

Over the years, Rojem made several attempts to appeal his death sentence. In 2001, a court ordered a re-sentencing trial, citing issues with the original trial's jury instructions. Despite this, Rojem was sentenced to death again in 2003. His second death sentence was vacated in 2006 because of procedural errors, leading to a third re-sentencing trial in 2007, where he was again sentenced to death.

Rojem remained on death row, appealing his sentence multiple times over the decades. He had numerous disciplinary incidents while in prison, including violence against staff and other inmates.

In 2024, after exhausting all legal avenues for appeal, Richard Rojem was scheduled for execution. During a clemency hearing, he maintained his innocence. However, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied his request for clemency, and his execution was carried out on June 27, 2024.

When asked for his last words, Rojem stated, "I don't. I've said my goodbyes." He was pronounced dead shortly after the lethal injection was administered. His execution marked nearly 40 years since he murdered Layla Cummings.