It's justice for Jamie, family says

Jennifer Fox and Curtis Bolin leave the Cleveland County Courthouse in Norman on Friday after Kevin Ray Underwood was found guilty of the murder of their daughter, Jamie Rose Bolin. BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN

/> On the first Mother's Day after Jamie died, Fox made a pendant displaying Jamie's cherubic young face. She wore it around her neck throughout the trial. And as the verdict was read aloud Friday, Fox lifted the pendant to her lips and whispered, "This is for you, Jamie.”

She said while the guilty verdict won't bring her granddaughter back, "it will send a message to other predators. If you stalk our children, the state will hunt you down like a rabid dog. And you'll be put down like a rabid dog.”

Closing arguments

Before the 20-minute deliberation, District Attorney Greg Mashburn told jurors in his closing argument that it would probably take them longer to pick a foreman than it would to find the 28-year-old former grocery stocker guilty.

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

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

But he also 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 several items entered into evidence, such as skewers, handcuffs, swords and adult toys and videos found in Underwood's apartment, were introduced for shock value and had nothing to do with the charge.

And responding to previous testimony in which prosecutors hinted that Jamie could have still been alive during "several really horrible scenarios,” Haire said the facts were that Underwood confessed to how he killed her.

"He suffocated her until she died,” Haire said. "Isn't that bad enough?”

The question brought a furious response from Mashburn, who made the final argument.

"Yeah, it's bad enough,” he yelled. "But that's not the whole story.”

Slamming his pen down on a table, Mashburn's voice grew louder and angrier as he pointed toward Underwood.

"He did more to her than what he told the cops.”

Trial continues next week

The punishment phase of the trial begins at 9:30 a.m. Monday. Prosecutors will seek the death penalty, and defense attorneys will argue that Underwood's life should be spared.

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