Execution date set for man convicted of one of Oklahoma’s most ‘depraved’ murders
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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — An execution date has been set for the man convicted of what’s been called one of the most “depraved” murders Oklahoma has ever seen.
Many Oklahomans remember the case of 10-year-old Jamie Rose Bolin, who was brutally murdered by her neighbor, Kevin Underwood, in 2006. The state announced that he will be put to death on Dec. 19.
Underwood not only was sentenced to death for killing the 10-year-old girl but also acted out his heinous fantasies of cannibalism.
An Amber Alert was initially issued when Bolin went missing. Police and volunteers searched Purcell and the surrounding areas, desperately trying to find her.
A volunteer recalled knocking on Underwood’s door.
“I said, ‘Have you seen Jamie?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ And I said, ‘Where did she go?’ I didn’t assume it was him. He said, ‘She went down that breezeway heading to the library,'” the volunteer told KOCO 5 after the search.
But Bolin wasn’t at the library. Her body was in Underwood’s apartment.
It was during a traffic checkpoint when Underwood admitted that Bolin was his neighbor. The search ended the next day when an FBI agent went to his apartment and found a tub in a closet with duct tape and the little girl’s clothing.
Underwood reportedly told police to “go ahead and arrest me” after Bolin’s blue shirt was seen in the closet.
Tapes from Underwood’s police interrogation showed that he spoke of his innocent victim.
“Kind of favored this girl. I had seen her. You know what, I really liked her,” Underwood said.
Bolin’s aunt told KOCO 5 that “it’s about time. This is a long time coming.”
Bolin’s family would have to wait two years for a trial to begin, saying they wanted the death penalty.
After reliving the gruesome details for nearly two weeks in a courtroom, the jury quickly found him guilty. A judge later sentenced him to death.
The long road to healing and closure is almost here with Underwood’s execution date officially set by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals for Dec. 19, which is also Underwood’s birthday.
Underwood is challenging the state’s method of execution as the case is currently at the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
KOCO 5’s Zach Rael spoke with Bolin’s family on Thursday. They said we were the ones to inform them of Underwood’s execution date.
Her aunt told KOCO 5 that “it’s about time” and “this has been a long time coming.”
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