Background
Roland Sundahl was married with two young children. Described as a laborer, he was also said to be a calm man, not easily angered, and kind to people and animals. Still, his family was not prosperous; Sundahl's meager wages were just enough to afford the family of four a derelict cottage behind his parents' home. His family reported that in the year or so before the crime, his health had changed for the worse. Suffering from headaches, he became moody and depressed.Crime
Bonnie Lou Merrill disappeared from the Y-Knot Cafe in Columbus, Nebraska, overInvestigation and arrest
At first, there were three main suspects: Herman Fried, a boy who was reported to have pestered Merrill for her affections; Burgess, Bonnie's date that night; and Sundahl. However, the police didn't have concrete evidence against any one of them, because none had the telltale scratch marks of having engaged in a struggle with the victim. The police chief thought Sundahl was the main suspect, so he was quickly brought into the station and washed off. It was discovered that he had covered the scars of his struggle with Bonnie by using her makeup. Minutes after being discovered with the scars, he broke down and confessed to the crime.Trial and execution
Charged in Platte County with first-degree murder and attempted rape, Sundahl faced a jury of 12 men three months after the crime. An unsuccessful insanity defense was given. A psychiatric evaluation concluded that Sundahl tended to withdraw from people into a "dream world of fantasy." Upon receiving a second examination from a different doctor, however, it was determined that he knew his ethics and had no history of mental illness. Sundahl himself testified at his trial and said that Bonnie's murder was "like a dream" and that he " ouldn'tbelieve it was possible." His mother collapsed in the courtroom on several occasions, while his wife burst into hysterics and made many outbursts. After nine hours, Roland Sundahl was found guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to death. Upon hearing the sentence, he put his head in his hands and wept. Motions for a new trial and a Nebraska Supreme Court appeal were made. They both failed, so Sundahl's legal counsel filed for a stay of the sentence, then a rehearing in the case. Finally, an appeal was made to the U.S. Supreme Court. All three failed. While awaiting the decision on commutation from the state prison board, Sundahl attempted suicide while in prison by cutting his wrists with a pencil sharpener blade, hidden in his Bible. The blade was hidden by Sundahl cutting a small hole into several pages, and directly above the hole, he underlined, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters." Subsequent to the suicide attempt, he was put under 24-hour suicide watch. His request for commutation was denied. Twenty months after Merrill's death, on April 30, 1952, Sundahl entered the execution chamber. He was seated in the electric chair, made no final statement, and was pronounced dead three minutes after entering the chamber. Retrieved 16 July 2010See also
*References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sundahl, Roland D. 1930 births 1952 deaths 1950 murders in the United States People from Madison County, Nebraska 20th-century executions of American people 20th-century executions by Nebraska American murderers of children American people convicted of attempted rape American people executed for murder People convicted of murder by Nebraska People executed by Nebraska by electric chair