Arizona Prisoner Scheduled for Execution Apologizes for Past Crimes
Richard Dergelf, an Arizona inmate set to be executed next month for the murders of four family members more than 30 years ago, has issued a statement expressing remorse for the suffering he caused.
In a handwritten note released on Thursday, Dergelf mentioned that he wouldn’t seek clemency from the state’s Tolerance Commission, asserting, “If I can’t find a reason to save my life, what’s the reason someone else has?”
He added, “I hope my death will bring some peace.”
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office has requested a warrant for Dergelf’s execution but has not provided any comments regarding his statement.
Dergelf, now 55, pleaded guilty to four counts of murder on September 14, 1993. His victims included Albert Luna Sr., his wife Patricia, their 18-year-old daughter Rochelle, and their five-year-old son Damian. Subsequently, Dergelf was sentenced to death.
The execution is scheduled for October 17, marking the second use of Arizona’s death penalty this year.
Prosecutors have indicated that Dergelf accused Albert Luna Jr. of stealing electronics from his former residence. Authorities report that he assaulted Rochelle and fatally injured her with a slashing wound to her throat. He also attacked Albert Sr. with an aluminum bat before stabbing and shooting him, and tied Patricia and Damian to a kitchen chair before killing them.
In his recent statement, Dergelf acknowledged the impact of his actions on Albert Jr., indicating that he was the innocent party who came home to a horrific scene. “It was part of what I did to his family, or why it was his fault,” he expressed.
Attempts to reach Luna for comment were unsuccessful, despite efforts to gather information in connection with the case.
Arizona currently has 108 inmates on death row, and the state last employed the death penalty in mid-March in a separate case involving the 2002 murder of Ted Price.
The state executed three individuals in 2022, following a near-eight-year pause due to concerns stemming from a problematic execution in 2014, which involved a prolonged and distressing process when Joseph Wood was executed with a mix of drugs.
