A man accused of intending to eat a 10-year-old girl he killed was denied clemency by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on Friday, just days before his execution planned.

The three board members present voted unanimously against recommending clemency for Underwood.

Underwood, 44, attended the proceedings. He apologized to the child’s family and said he knew he deserved to die. He is expected to be killed by lethal injection Thursday at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.

His legal team argued for leniency, citing childhood trauma, undiagnosed autistic disorder, bipolar disorder, PTSD and other mental health issues.

Officials with the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said Underwood did not deserve pity, as evidenced by his plan to kidnap, rape, torture and cannibalize a 10-year-old child. Jamie Rose Bolin.

“I am pleased that the board voted to deny clemency to this deeply evil monster and ensured that justice was served for Jamie Rose Bolin,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement. statement. “Jamie’s family has waited 18 agonizing years for justice to finally be served when this murderer is executed.”

The Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty detailed the hearing in a statement sent to Newsweek.

“There was a lot of pain in the courtroom today, precipitated by the barbaric violence inflicted on a 10-year-old girl,” said the Rev. Don Heath, president of the coalition. “Kevin Underwood recognized the pain he caused the Bolin family, his family and everyone affected by the murder. The Bolin family shared his continued pain.”

Heath said the testimony of Underwood’s psychologist and arguments made by his attorneys showed that “the violence was the result of Underwood’s isolation and emotional trauma.”

“The vote to deny clemency will only perpetuate and escalate senseless violence,” Heath said.

Underwood confessed to killing and attempting to behead Bolin in 2006. Bolin, who was his neighbor, had previously been reported missing and an AMBER Alert was issued.

In the interview with the FBI and Oklahoma officials, Underwood explained “how he had recently developed a desire to kidnap a person, sexually assault them, eat their flesh and dispose of their remains,” the court said. Oklahoma Criminal Appeal in its 2011 opinion upholding his conviction and punishment.

Bolin’s body was later found in a large plastic container in Underwood’s bedroom closet. A meat tenderizer and skewers were also found at the scene, which police claimed Underwood planned to use for cannibalistic purposes.

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