A convicted murderer, who murdered a ten-year-old girl and harbored cannibalistic fantasies, ordered a gigantic banquet for his last meal before being executed. Kevin Underwood, 45, was sentenced to death for the brutal murder of his young neighbor.
Jamie Rose Bolin, in 2006, ordered chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, pinto beans, a hot bun, a cheeseburger with fries and ketchup for her last meal, according to the Department of Corrections.
Underwood, a former grocery store worker, admitted to luring Jamie to his apartment, where he beat her with a cutting board, choked her, and sexually assaulted her. He also confessed that he had planned to cannibalize her, but later abandoned the idea. Underwood had expressed “cannibalistic fantasies” to investigators, chillingly revealing her gruesome intentions, according to AP News.
Underwood was executed at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary on Thursday, the same day he turned 45. He condemned the timing of the execution, saying: “The decision to execute me on my birthday and six days before Christmas was unnecessarily cruel to my family.
But I am very sorry for what I did and I wish I could take it back.” These were his last words before the lethal injection was administered. The execution process began at 10:04 a.m.Underwood’s breathing became shallow and her eyes closed soon after.
At 10:09 a.m., a doctor entered the chamber, confirmed that he was unconscious, and five minutes later, Underwood was pronounced dead. His execution came after a unanimous vote by the Oklahoma Board of Pardons and Paroles, which denied his request for clemency following chilling excerpts from his confession.
Underwood’s lawyers had argued that his serious mental health problems, including autism and various psychological disorders, should spare him the death penalty. However, prosecutors maintained that mental illness does not justify harming children, and Underwood’s crime was unforgivable.
For Jamie’s family, the execution brought some closure. His sister, Lori Pate, who attended the execution, thanked prosecutors for guiding them through nearly 18 years of legal proceedings. She said: “This doesn’t bring Jamie back, but it does allow the space in our hearts to focus on her and allow the healing process to begin.”