Underwood convicted
Underwood convicted

By Johnny Johnson
Published: February 29, 2008

NORMAN — Jurors needed just 20 minutes this morning to convict Kevin Ray Underwood of killing 10-year-old neighbor Jamie Rose Bolin as part of a cannibalistic fantasy.

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Jurors apparently proved Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn right.

During closing arguments today, Mashburn told jurors it might take them longer to pick a foreman than to find the 28-year-old former grocery stocker guilty of first-degree murder.

The jury went out at 10:05 a.m. after closing arguments from prosecutors and defense attorneys. An announcement was made at 10:25 that the jury had a verdict.

After the verdict was announced, an uncle of the victim called Underwood “an animal.”

Referring to defense attorneys’ discussion of Underwood's "dark side," Mark Chiles said, "I don't think it's a mental illness or anything like that. He's just an evil person. He's an animal."

Earlier today, defense attorney Matt Haire reminded jurors of his promise before the trial started to be honest and fair and brief and to not dispute facts that are indisputable.

He asked jurors to pay attention to what the defendant actually did, compared to “unrelated evidence,” such as what prosecutors said his plans were.

Haire argued that evidence that Underwood had skewers, handcuffs and swords in his apartment, was unrelated.

“A lot has been talked about cannibalism,” Haire said. “But there is no evidence that he ate any part of the body.”

Chiles said he doesn’t want to hear any apology from Underwood during the penalty phase, which will begin Monday.

“It wouldn't be heartfelt. It would just be rhetoric, is all it would be," Chiles said.

Chiles and Jamie’s father, Curtis Bolin, sat through more than two days of graphic testimony. They left the courtroom during Thursday’s playing of Underwood’s lengthy videotaped confession, which included his detailed description of a cannibalistic fantasy.

"I have a memory of my niece. That's the way I want to remember her,” Chiles said.