Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has called on the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board to deny clemency for Kevin Ray Underwood, a convicted child sexual predator and murderer. Underwood is scheduled to be executed on December 19 for the 2006 murder of 10-year-old Jamie Rose Bolin, his neighbor in Purcell.
The case began when authorities issued an Amber Alert for Jamie Rose Bolin, who had gone missing. Underwood, who lived in the same apartment complex as Bolin, was arrested on April 17, 2006. He confessed to FBI agents and Oklahoma detectives, stating, "Go ahead and arrest me. She is in there. I chopped her up."
Bolin's body was found in a large plastic container in Underwood's bedroom closet.
Purcell Police Chief David Tompkins described the murder as the culmination of Underwood's fantasy to "kidnap a person, rape them, torture them, kill them, cut off their head, drain the body of blood, rape the corpse, eat the corpse then dispose of the organs and bones."
Underwood was convicted of bludgeoning Bolin to death with a wooden cutting board. Police found meat tenderizer and barbecue skewers at the scene, which they believe were intended for use on the victim's body.
On February 29, 2008, a jury found Underwood guilty of first-degree murder. The jury recommended the death penalty on March 7, 2008, and McClain County District Judge Candace Blalock approved the sentence on April 3, 2008.
Underwood's appeals, which argued that his mental illness made the death penalty an unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment, were rejected.
Underwood was one of 25 death row inmates scheduled for execution in Oklahoma on July 1, 2022. His execution was initially set for December 7, 2023, but was postponed at the request of Attorney General Drummond, who sought to alleviate the burden on Department of Corrections personnel by spacing out executions. Underwood's new execution date is December 19, 2024, his 45th birthday.
"Kevin Underwood is a deeply evil monster who committed an unthinkable murder that took a 10-year-old child away from her parents and loved ones," Drummond said. "The death penalty is the only appropriate punishment in this case, and I urge the Pardon and Parole Board to reject clemency and ensure justice for Jamie."
