Frasure was arrested soon after her death and a series of six trials ensued between 1915 and 1918. It was believed he murdered Kinney to hide the shame and disgrace of impregnating her. There were two hung juries and three guilty verdicts with life imprisonment. The final appeal was decided in April of 1918.
Robert S. Frasure Murder Trials Collection consists of research materials acquired by Lydia Justice Edwards during the process of writing a series of articles on the murder trials titled "Beautyville: Murder in my Family" for the Eastern Kentucky Voice in 2016.
Submissions from 1900
Evan Silas Frasure, Evan Silas Frasure
G. W. E. Wolfford, George Washington Elisha Wolfford
Robert S. Frasure and Sisters, Robert Silas Frasure
Submissions from 1910
Allen N. Cisco, Allen N. Cisco
Lawrence County Courthouse circa. 1910, Lawrence County Courthouse
Lawrence County Courthouse circa. 1910, Lawrence County Courthouse
Lewis P. Damron Family, Lewis P. Damron
Submissions from 1915
Matthew M. Redwine, Matthew M. Redwine
Robert Silas Frasure, Robert Silas Frasure
Sketch of Hatchet Marks on the Skull of Stella Kinney, Stella Kinney
Stella Kinney at Beautyville, Kentucky, Stella Kinney
Thomas S. Yates, Thomas S. Yates
Velva Kinney, Velva Kinney
William Jason Fields, William J. Fields
Postcard from Stella Kinney, Stella Kinney
1915-05-06 Murder Charge Against Robert Frazier of Fleming County, Carter County News
1915-05-06 Uncle is Arrested, Maysville Public Ledger
Was Held Without Bail on an Awful Charge, Hartford Harold
Death Certificate of Stella Kinney - May 13, 1915, Carter County (Ky.) Coroner
1915-05-24 Indictment of Robert Frasure, Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-06-16 Correspondence: Muses's Mills, Maysville Public Ledger
1915-10-14 E. M. Runyon Testimony, E. M. Runyo and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 S. W. Jackson, S. W. Jackson and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of A. J. Counts, A. J. Counts and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of A. M. Johnson, A. M. Johnson and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Archie McCarty, Archie McCarty and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Bazil Hatfield Kinney, Bazil Hatfield Kinney and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Bazil Hatfield Kinney (Recalled), Bazel Hatfield Kinney and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Booten Hall, Booten Hall and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Butler Coberen, Butler Coberen and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Charlie White, Charlie White and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Clay Tabor, Clay Tabor and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Dr. G. B. O'Roark, G. B. O'Roark and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Dr. J. M. Rhodes, J. M. Rhodes and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Dr. W. L. Stumbo, W. L. Stumbo and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Fletcher Ingram, Fletcher Ingram and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Henderson Harris, Henderson Harris and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Henry Nolan, Henry Nolan and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Isiah Masters, Isiah Masters and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of J. F. Hison, J. F. Hison and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Jim Abrams, James Abrams and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Jim Havre Stevens, Jim Havre Stevens and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Joe Williams, Joseph Williams and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of John Kinney, John Kinney and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of J. S. Loeb, J. S. Loeb and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of J. T. Binion, J. T. Binion and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of J. W. Kates, J. W. Kates and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Logan Davis, Logan Davis and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Mary Kinney, Mary Kinney and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of M. J. Evans, M. J. Evans and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Nancy Binion, Nancy Binion and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Reverend Ezra Kidwell, Ezra Kidwell and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of R. M. Griffey, R. M. Griffey and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Robert S. Frasure, Robert Silas Frasure and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Sam L. Jordan, Samuel L. Jordan
1915-10-14 Testimony of Steve Irwin, Steve Irwin and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of Tom Davis, Thomas Davis and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony of W. M. Alexander, W. M. Alexander and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-14 Testimony pf E. S. Parker, E. S. Parker and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1915-10-1915 Testimony of Dr. E. T. Runyon, E. T. Runyon
1915-10-20 Prison Receipt, Office of Kentucky Penitentiary
Submissions from 1916
Lillian Ramey and Clyde Thomas, Lillian Ramey and Clyde Thomas
1916-04-25 Appeal from Carter Circuit Court - 169 Kentucky Reorts, Court of Appeals of Kentucky and Carter County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1916-04-25 Court of Appeals of Kentucky - 185 Southwestern Reporter, Court of Appeals of Kentucky and Southwestern Reporter
Frasure v. Commonwealth, 169 Ky. 620 (1918), Court of Appeals of Kentucky
1916-05-12 Granted New Trial, Maysville Public Ledger
1916-10-06 Two Murder Trial Moved to Lawrence, Big Sandy News
1916-10-20 The Frasure Case Takes Entire Week, Big Sandy News
1916-10-27 Jury Disagrees in Frasure Case, Big Sandy News
Submissions from 1917
1917-02-09 Leg Broken, But He Will Attend Trial, Big Sandy News
1917-03-02 The Frasure Case Again Being Tried, Big Sandy News
1917-03-09 Life Sentence for Robt. Frasure, Big Sandy News
1917-03-09 R. S. Frasure was Found Guilty, Big Sandy News
1917-06-08 Appeal from Lawrence Circuit Court - Kentucky Reports, Court of Appeals of Kentucky and Kentucky Reports
1917-06-08 Court of Appeals of Kentucky - Southwestern Reporter, Court of Appeals of Kentucky and Southwestern Reporter
1917-10-19 Frasure Case is Nearing to Close, Big Sandy News
1917-10-23 Another Hung Jury, Maysville Public Ledger
1917-10-26 Jury Disagree in Frasure Case, Big Sandy News
1917-12-06 For Fifth Time, Maysville Public Ledger
Family and Friends Photographed in Front of the Lawrence County Courthouse, Lawrence County Courthouse
1917-12-14 Life Sentence for Frasure, Big Sandy News
Submissions from 1918
1918-06-23 Appeal from Lawrence Circuit Court - Kentucky Report, Court of Appeals of Kentucky and Kentucky Reports
Frasure v. Commonwealth, 180 Ky. 274 (1918), Court of Appeals of Kentucky
1918-04-26 Robert Frasure Case, Big Sandy News
Submissions from 1920
Andrew J. May, Andrew Jackson May
Daughters of Sarah Jane Hall and Evan Silas Frasure, Evan Silas Frasure and Sarah Jane Hall
Kinney Family, Bazil Hatfield Kinney, Haley Frasure Kinney, John Kinney, Nance Kinney, Cat Kinney, and Mary Mahala Frasure
Olive Hill Attorneys, R. H. Paynter, Ben Cassity, Henry Woods, Jim Porter, Albert Counts, Ben Thompson, Thort Kennard, and Milton Erwin
Submissions from 1921
1921-07-06 Fleming Escapade May Clear Up a Hard Fought Case, Maysville Public Ledger
1921-08-05 Finding of Hatchet May Throw Light on Crime, Big Sandy News
Submissions from 1922
Olive Hill Citizens, Carter County (Ky.) Courthouse
Submissions from 1930
G. W. E. Wolfford, George Washington Elisha Wolfford
Submissions from 1933
Who Killed Stella Kinney?, Margaret E. Fultz
Submissions from 1940
G. W. E. Wolfford and Fred Vinson, George Washington Elisha Wolfford and Frederick Moore Vinson
Submissions from 1959
Local Ballads: Stella Kenney, Kentucky Folklore Record
Submissions from 1962
Stella Kenney Ballad, Charlene H. Potter and Kentucky Folklore Record
Submissions from 1989
Six Ballads from Eastern Kentucky: A Piece of Appalachian History, Hubert V. Crawford and Paul L. Crawford
Submissions from 1990
Carter County Courtroom, Carter County (Ky.) Courthouse
Garvin Ridge Road (Carter County, Kentucky), Garvin Ridge Road (Carter County, Ky.)
Hand Drawn Map of the Road between Elizaville and Beautyville, Charles Worthington