A man convicted of the gruesome murder of a 10-year-old girl in Oklahoma is put to death.
Lethal injection resulted in the death of Kevin Ray Underwood, 45.
On Thursday, the 25th and final execution of the year in the United States took place, resulting in the death of Oklahoma man Kevin Ray Underwood through lethal injection.
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) has confirmed that Underwood died at 10:14 a.m. on June 15, 2021, at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. According to the ODOC, Underwood was convicted of killing a 10-year-old girl in 2006 as part of a cannibalistic fantasy.
Underwood, a former grocery store worker, confessed to leading Jamie Rose Bolin into his apartment, assaulting her, and then attempting to eat her. He admitted to nearly beheading her in his bathtub before abandoning his plans.
The ODOC stated that his last meal was a cheeseburger and fries with ketchup and "cola from the canteen," a hot roll, pinto beans, mashed potatoes, and gravy, which he received at 5:40 p.m. on Wednesday.
According to the ODOC, Underwood chose not to have a chaplain present during his execution, but opted for sedatives during the three-chemical protocol lethal injection on his 45th birthday.
According to KOCO, witnesses reported that Underwood expressed regret for his actions and apologized to the Bolin family. He also stated that it was unnecessarily cruel to execute him on his birthday and six days before Christmas.
No complications were reported with the execution, witnesses told KOCO.
Underwood's legal team contended that he should be exempt from the death penalty due to his extensive history of abuse and severe mental health problems, including autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar and panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and deviant sexual paraphilias.
Although many individuals may have mental health issues, this does not excuse causing harm to children.
Earlier Thursday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Underwood's last-minute request for a stay of execution, as his attorneys argued that he deserved a hearing before all five members of the board and that the panel violated state law and Underwood's rights by rescheduling the hearing at the last minute after two members of the board resigned.
On April 7, 2008, the ODOC received Underwood, who was 28 years old and had been convicted in Cleveland County of first-degree murder on April 3, 2008.
Since 1915, the ODOC reports that Oklahoma has executed 206 men and three women.
Currently, 32 men and one woman are on death row in Oklahoma.
According to ODOC Director Steven Harpe, the event that occurred today and the circumstances surrounding it have greatly impacted many individuals, particularly the family of 10-year-old Jame Rose Bolin. As an agency, we adhered to the court's orders while maintaining our professionalism and respect for those in our care, ensuring that all parties involved were treated with dignity.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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