10-year-old Oklahoma girl found murdered

April 16, 2006

Police in Purcell, Oklahoma, about 40 miles (64 km) south of Oklahoma City, on Friday discovered the mutilated body of a ten-year-old girl in the apartment of a man who lived in the same apartment complex.

The body of Jamie Rose Bolin was found in a storage bin in the bedroom closet of Kevin Underwood, 26, said Tim Kuykendall, district attorney for McClain County. Underwood has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and is being held without bail. He has no criminal record or history of mental illness.

The girl was last seen on Wednesday near the Purcell public library, and her family reported her missing that night. Officials waited until Thursday night to issue an Amber Alert because no abduction was reported.

Underwood reportedly drew the suspicion of law enforcement at an information checkpoint set up at the apartment complex. Among the other items found in Underwood's apartment were a decorative dagger, a hacksaw, barbecue skewers, meat tenderizer, and a wooden cutting board, according to police.

Preliminary autopsy reports find that the girl died of asphyxiation and blunt force trauma to the head. Deep saw marks found on the body indicate that the suspect attempted to decapitate the girl, say authorities. As the body was found unclothed, police also suspect that Bolin was molested after she died.

"Regarding a potential motive, this appears to have been part of a plan 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," Purcell police chief David Tompkins said.

According to Kuykendall, Underwood said he began fantasizing about eating someone a year ago. The prosecutor added that authorities believe "that while she was ultimately chosen to be the victim of this horrific crime, that other people had been targeted and considered," including a woman and a 5-year-old boy. He added that this was one of the most atrocious crimes he had seen as district attorney, and that he intends to seek the death penalty.