Monsters Among Us
Yes, there are monsters among us.
Unlike fictional monsters in books and movies, real-life monsters for the most part look pretty much like normal people. They may work with us, they may live near us and for the most part they keep their monsterous nature to themselves. Then one day the evil inside them overcomes them with desire and they lash out with terrifying and deadly consequences.
28 year-old Daniel Arlen Johnson, of Tulsa and 26 year-old Kevin Ray Underwood, of Purcell, Oklahoma are accused of being just such monsters.
Daniel Arlen Johnson stands accused of the abduction, murder and sexual assault of ten year-old Elizabeth Wagoner, of Tulsa, in late March of this year. Kevin Ray Underwood stands accused of the abduction, murder and sexual assault of ten year-old Jamie Rose Bolin, of Purcell, just over two weeks later, in a case which has shocked the nation with its implications of cannibalism.
The similarity of the two victims is remarkable. Both children were female, both were ten years of age, both were abducted near their homes, both were killed shortly after their abduction, both were asphyxiated and both died in the home of their alleged killer.
Equally remarkable is the dissimilarity of the two accused monsters. Daniel Arlen Johnson is a family man with children of his own. Kevin Ray Underwood appears a childless loner with little social interaction with anyone. Johnson has a previous criminal record for drug and property offenses and an outstanding warrant for failure to appear at the time of Elizabeth Wagoner’s murder. Underwood appears to have no prior criminal record. Johnson lived in a single family residence one block from the home of his alleged victim. Underwood lived in an apartment building with his apartment directly below that of Jamie Bolin. According to statements from police neither Elizabeth Wagoner or her family knew Johnson. Not only did Jamie Bolin and her father know her alleged killer the evening before her death she used Underwood’s telephone ro order a pizza.
These two tragic cases involving innocent children abducted, murdered and sexually assaulted are a sign of the times in which we live. Times wherein no parent can ever relax their guard. Times wherein all parents should warn their children of the evil and depraved persons that exist in our society and who are awaiting an opportunity to do them harm. Times wherein no child should be permitted to be in the presence of an adult in that persons home, regardless of whether they are friend or stranger, without other adults, preferably the child’s parent being present.
Far too few parents try to shelter their children from the evil and scary things which exist in our society. Predators are counting on this fact and seeking the opportunity to lure innocent children to their deaths. The time has long since past when children can trust being along with either friends or strangers. This is truly sad, but it is also a reflection of our times. The time of trusting is gone, just as is that time when we once left our keys in the car, our doors unlocked and welcomed strangers into our homes.
For there really are monsters among us…
