Cantonment Cold Case: Murder 45 Years Ago Remains Unsolved

January 8, 2026

It was45 years ago on the afternoon of January 2, 1981, that 9-year-old Kenneth Deshun Underwood and three companions went bird hunting in the woods near their Cantonment home. Everyone returned home that afternoon except for Underwood.

When Underwood was still not home around 6 p.m., Escambia County Search and Rescue personnel were called. The area where Underwood was last seen alive was canvassed. His body was discovered about 5:45 the next morning –apparently murdered — in an area near Booker Street. His cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.

The case remains unsolved, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help because they believe someone in our area still has information about Underwood’s death.

If you know anything about the death of Kenneth Deshun Underwood, 9, you are asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit at (850) 436-9580 or Crime Stopper at (850) 433-STOP (7867).

Pictured above: The fourth-grade photo of murder victim Kenneth Deshun Underwood of Cantonment. Pictured below: The highlighted area in this map shows where the body was found. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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Comments

2 Responses to “Cantonment Cold Case: Murder 45 Years Ago Remains Unsolved”

  1. Fred Martin on January 8th, 2026 4:11 pm

    God knows who did it, and they will be punished.

  2. Chris Abramowitz on January 8th, 2026 9:10 am

    How tragic to learn of this. Just yesterday I saw two youngsters walking out of the woods near my neighborhood carrying their cull of squirrels. I recognized proud smiles and deliberate strides as they enjoyed their accomplishment.
    Then today I see this article. How terrible!
    I know this area a little bit from working in it in the early 2000s. It is my speculation the person responsible for this murder is not likely among the living.





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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FRONT TOP