Accused child killer stands trial

Two years after the brutal murder of Jamie Rose Bolin, a 10-year-old from Purcell, the murder trial of her neighbor, Kevin Ray Underwood, is now underway in Norman. Underwood, 28, is charged with first

Thursday, February 28th 2008, 3:21 pm

By: News 9


Two years after the brutal murder of Jamie Rose Bolin, a 10-year-old from Purcell, the murder trial of her neighbor, Kevin Ray Underwood, is now underway in Norman. Underwood, 28, is charged with first degree murder in the case, which prosecutors have called a cannibalistic plot.

Jamie Bolin was last seen April 12, 2006 at the Purcell library.  She was reported missing that night; however an Amber Alert was not issued until the next night because no one witnessed her abduction and police suspected she had run away. 

A tip from the FBI led police to Underwood's apartment, said authorities. According to police, Bolin's body was found on April 14, 2006, in a plastic tub sealed with duct tape in Underwood's bedroom closet.  She had deep saw marks on her neck, said authorities. It's believed that Underwood, then 26, lured Jamie into his apartment, beat and suffocated her; Purcell Police Chief David Tompkins said investigators believe Underwood sexually assaulted the 10-year-old after he killed her and planned to eat the corpse. District Attorney Tim Kuykendall said barbecue skewers and meat tenderizer found in Underwood's apartment were intended for the little girl. In a police affidavit, Underwood confessed he killed Bolin, saying: "Go ahead and arrest me. She is in there. I chopped her up." 

A not guilty plea was entered on Underwood's behalf.  His trial was moved from McClain County to Cleveland County because of extensive pretrial publicity. Underwood trial was set to start in August 2007, but it was postponed after his lead attorney stepped down.  Underwood's new attorney argued they could not be ready for an August trial, so the trial date was pushed back to February 19, 2008. The state is seeking the death penalty.

From Staff and wire reports

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