Delivery Dangers

It was the summer of 1992 and my 12-year-old little brother was on a mission to win a grand adventure to visit Yellowstone National Park in the winter. All he had to do was be in the top five to enroll the most subscribers to the newspaper he delivered for, the Idaho State Journal, before fall. We all figured it would be an impossible feat considering our town only had around 300 people in it, and he was already delivering the paper to most of them. Of course, there was no way he could compete with employees in a large city, so it was a massive shock when we learned he had indeed won and would get to go on an amazing adventure.

Winter came and we hugged him goodbye, all wishing we could join. Three days later, we picked him up and hounded him for every detail on what he did and saw: a ride in a snowcat through snow covered pine trees, Old Faithful with frozen puddles all around, gorgeous animals hunting for food in the snow, steam from hot pots rising up to melt falling snowflakes, delicious meals in a lodge, and hot chocolate to warm cold fingers and tummies. He had a blast and loved the snow covered park and getting to know the others who had also won and gotten to come on the trip.

Winter turned to spring then summer, and like the snow, talk of the Yellowstone adventure had long since disappeared. Then, one day in late June 1993 my brother sat rolling the newspapers up to put in is carrying bag for delivery; suddenly, he stopped, and his face went white. He held up the paper pointing to a picture of a young girl framed by the words “REWARD!” and “MISSING!”

I know her,” he said shocked. “She was on the Yellowstone trip with me.”

I became a paper reader, and not just the Sunday comics, that day. 11-year-old Jeralee Underwood had gone missing while out collecting payments on her regular delivery route. A friend of the Underwood family came to their home to ask if Jeralee had someone helping her with her route that day, because a neighbor had seen her getting into a car. The Underwoods drove to their friend’s neighbor’s home only half a mile away from their own. They learned their daughter had been forced into a light cream/white colored car by a man with dark hair. Concern, fear, panic, hope causing chaos in their mind and heart they immediately called the police and informed them of the situation. Jeff, Jeralee’s father, went out searching her route praying this was all a matter of mistaken identity and he would see his daughter along the road at any moment. Joyce, Jeralee’s mother, went back home in hopes her daughter would bounce through the door any moment with a big smile on her face, excited about the tip she received that day.

As the sun set that night, still no sign of Jeralee, the nightmare became real that she was truly abducted. Police, family, friends, neighbors, and strangers gathered the next day to pray and go out searching for the sweet, fun-loving girl. Police began to retrace her newspaper route talking to each costumer in hopes they would catch a break. Several days passed with no sign of the missing girl and no new evidence in hopes of finding a lead. Traffic checkpoints had been set up, and police in neighboring cities were on the look out for vehicles matching the description of the one Jeralee was forced into, but nothing was turning up.

After a week of sleepless nights, countless prayers, millions of tears, and extreme frustration the Underwood family finally had a small light in the darkness. There had been a break in the case and someone had been arrested.

The police had narrowed down whom Jeralee had visited that fateful June day and whom she had not. They had determined the last home she had gone to, which had been thoroughly searched with no sign of Jeralee. But, they discovered James Edward Wood had been visiting that home when Jeralee came to collect payment. His car matched the description of the one she had been forced into, and he matched the description of the man forcing her into it. This was the break they needed, and it was enough for an arrest; James Wood was brought in for questioning.

Hours were spent interrogating him before he finally gave up any information. The Underwood family’s greatest fear was confirmed, their daughter and sister was dead.

James told police how he had been visiting his cousin when Jeralee come to their home. Immediately after she left he announced he needed to go for some alcohol. Instead, he ran out and stopped Jeralee, proclaiming the check his cousin had given her, to renew the paper subscription, was no good and he wanted her to give it to him so he could give her cash. Distracted, trying to find the check in her moneybag he had grabbed her and shoved her in his car. He then drove south a few hours and then back going even further north taking back roads to avoid the checkpoints. James told the police where to find Jeralee’s body and continued on with the ghastly things he had done.

The Underwood’s worse nightmare just became even more horrific. James had sexually molested their daughter before and after shooting her in the head. He also dismembered her throwing each body part into the Snake River. This was not the ending the Underwood family had prayed for, but they at least had closure now and could lay their baby to rest properly.

The investigation into James continued on though and what police learned chilled them to the core. Jeralee was not his first victim and would not likely be his last if he went free. This cruel heartless man had raped at least 85 women across the country. There were several more besides Jeralee in the same town. One girl should have died, but his gun jammed when he tried to shoot her in the head. James told her it was her “lucky day,” and let her run off, only because he knew if he fired again he’d have to find two shells and he wouldn’t have time to escape unnoticed with homes just 100 yards away. Though it’s not proven, at least 30 other murders across the states could probably be pinned on James.

Police, putting together James Edward Wood’s profile, found he definitely lead a troubled and difficult life. His childhood and teenage years were filled with trauma and sorrow. His father was sent to prison when he was two. He lived with his mother and stepdad until he was 8 when his mother was killed in a fire at her work. An Aunt and Uncle took him in until he was 14, but had such difficulty dealing with him they finally turned him over to the state. He remained a ward of the state until he was 17, when his biological father took him until adulthood. He was sexually, physically, and mentally abused throughout his life. Run-ins with law happened starting in his childhood, continuing throughout his life; he committed numerous theft, various other crimes, and served time in jail and prison.

No one can say for sure why he turned to rape and murder. But, he did and because of that choice thousands of people will never be the same. I still have nightmares, 28 years later, after reading the newspaper and hearing the news on tv about all the horrendous things he did to Jeralee. My nightmares are nothing, I am sure, compared to the struggles and pain the Underwood family deals with to this day.

Resources:

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2016/10/pocatello-girl-remembered-23-years-after-one-of-idahos-most-horrific-crimes/

https://murderpedia.org/male.W/w/wood-james-edward.htm

https://killer.cloud/serial-killers/show/465/james-edward-wood

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