An Oklahoma man, Kevin Ray Underwood, was executed by lethal injection on Thursday for the murder of a 10-year-old girl back in 2006. Underwood, who had a history of mental health issues, was put to death at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
Underwood admitted to luring Jamie Rose Bolin into his apartment, where he beat her over the head with a cutting board, suffocated her, and sexually assaulted her. He had initially planned to cannibalize her but abandoned the idea after nearly beheading her in his bathtub.
Before his execution, Underwood requested a meal of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, pinto beans, a cheeseburger, and fries. He chose to forgo a chaplain's presence during the execution but opted for sedatives.
During the execution, witnesses reported that Underwood apologized to the Bolin family and expressed his belief that his execution on his birthday was needlessly cruel to his own family.
Underwood's attorneys had argued for clemency due to his mental health issues, including autism, bipolar disorder, and other conditions. However, prosecutors maintained that his actions, particularly harming a child, could not be justified by mental illness.
Despite a last-minute plea to the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay of execution, Underwood's bid was rejected, and he was pronounced dead without complications.
Underwood was convicted of first-degree murder in 2008 and became the 25th and final person to be executed in the U.S. in that year. Oklahoma has executed a total of 206 men and three women since 1915, with 32 men and one woman currently on death row in the state.
ODOC Director Steven Harpe acknowledged the impact of the event on the Bolin family and emphasized the agency's commitment to professionalism and respect in carrying out court orders.
