In the fall of 1993, a quiet home in Maryvale, Arizona, became the scene of a brutal crime that shattered a family and shook the community. On September 14th, 18-year-old Rochelle Lynn Luna, a student at Trevor Browne High School, was tragically murdered alongside her parents, Albert B. Luna Sr., 46, and Patricia Valdez Luna, 42, and her 5-year-old brother, Damien. Rochelle, who was a member of her school's track team and worked at a local grocery store, was a young woman with a future ahead of her. The family's life was horrifically cut short by a man who had once been a friend to Rochelle's older brother.
The perpetrator was identified as Richard Kenneth Djerf, a former friend of Rochelle's brother, Albert Luna Jr. Djerf held a grudge against Albert Jr., believing he had burglarized his apartment earlier that year and stolen electronic equipment and a rifle. Fueled by a desire for revenge and frustrated by what he perceived as a lack of police action, Djerf planned a gruesome retaliation against the entire Luna family. On that fateful September day, he arrived at the Luna residence under the guise of delivering flowers. Once inside, he took Patricia and young Damien hostage, binding and gagging them.
When Rochelle returned home from school that afternoon, she was ambushed by Djerf. He took her to her bedroom, where he assaulted and murdered her. Later, when Albert Luna Sr. arrived home from work, he too was attacked and killed. After murdering the four family members, Djerf attempted to set the house on fire to conceal the crime, but the fire did not fully ignite. He then fled the scene. The horrific discovery was made later that evening when Albert Luna Jr. returned home to find his family deceased.
The investigation quickly pointed to Richard Djerf, who was arrested on September 18, 1993. His arrest came after he confessed the details of the murders to friends, who then contacted the authorities. In his possession, police found items belonging to the Luna family. Djerf ultimately pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder. On May 22, 1996, he was sentenced to death for his crimes. For decades, he remained on death row, with his case going through numerous appeals. More than 30 years after the murders, in October 2025, Richard Kenneth Djerf was executed for the murders of the Luna family.
