Underwood defense asks to strike death penalty option:
The defense for would be cannibal Kevin Ray Underwood is trying to get the death penalty taken off the table because of press leaks.
Underwood’s defense attorney, L. Wayne Woodyard, appearing in Cleveland County District Court, argued Wednesday that too much information about the case has been leaked to the public that the case no longer represents “due process.” He asked that the bill of particulars be struck and the death penalty be taken out of consideration for sentencing.
The defense pointed out the latest instance of “leaks” to the media. A TV news station ran a story Feb. 11 that unnamed sources revealed a sealed judgment of District Judge Candace Blalock. Only about an hour after the lawyers received the judgment via e-mail, it was posted online that Blalock decided to let incriminating evidence into the trial, the defense said.
The defense blamed the District Attorney’s office for the leak.
This is what I like to call grasping at straws.
As the District Attorney pointed out in the article, Mr. Woodyard knows that Underwood is a lost cause. Underwood basically confessed to the killing of 10-year-old Jamie Rose Bolin and the desire to consume her flesh. This isn’t some overcomplicated case that you might see on some crime drama TV show.
I’d be very surprised if the death penalty is removed as a sentencing option.
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