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 1917
1917-02-28 Testimony of E. T. Runyon, E. T. Runyon and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Everett Frasure, Everett Frasure and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Frank and George Runyon, Frank Runyon, George Runyon, and Lawrence County ( Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Fred Newsome, Fred Newsome and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of G. B. O'Roark, G. B. O'Roark and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of G. W. Powell, G. W. Powell and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Harlan Ramey, Harlan Ramey and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Harry Sandidge, Harry Sandidge and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Henry B. Nolan, Henry B. Nolan and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Henry Hobson (Affidavit), Henry Hobson and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of J. A. Porter, J. A. Porter and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of J. M. Rose, J. M. Rose and Lawrence Country (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Joe and Vergie Williams, Joe T. Williams, Vergie Williams, and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of John H. Graves, John H. Graves and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of John Kinney, John B. Kinney and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of John Olmstead, John Olmstead and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of John W. Case, John W. Case and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of J. T. Binion, J. T. Binion and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Logan Davis, Logan Davis and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of L. P. Damron, L. P. Damron and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Martin Coin Jr., Martin Coin Jr. and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Mary Mahala Kinney, Mary Mahala Kinney and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Myrtle Crawford, Myrtle Crawford and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Nancy Binion, Nancy Binion and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of P. M. Melvin, P. M. Melvin and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Robert S. Frasure, Robert Silas Frasure and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Russel Ryan, Russel Ryan and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of S. W. Jackson, S. W. Jackson and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of T. H. Taulbert, T. H. Taulbert and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Walker L. Stumbo, Walker L. Stumbo and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of William T. Evans, William T. Evans and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of Willie Hall (Affidavit), Willie Hall and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Testimony of W. J. Roberts, W. J. Roberts and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-02-28 Witnesses Recalled John Case and A.J. May, John Case, A. J. May, and Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-03-01 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-03-02 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-03-02 The Frasure Case Again Being Tried, Big Sandy News
1917-03-03 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-03-05 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-03-06 - 03-07 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-03-07 Jury Instructions, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court.
1917-03-09 Life Sentence for Robt. Frasure, Big Sandy News
1917-03-09 R. S. Frasure was Found Guilty, Big Sandy News
1917-03-15 Robert Frazure gets Life Sentence, Carter County Herald
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
1917-06-15 Robert Frasure Case is Reversed, Big Sandy News
1917-09-21 Circuit Court Convenes Oct. 8, Big Sandy News
1917-10-12 Circuit Court is Grinding, Big Sandy News
1917-10-13 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-10-15 -10-16 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-10-17 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-10-18 - 10-19 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-10-19 Frasure Case is Nearing to Close, Big Sandy News
1917-10-20 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-10-23 Another Hung Jury, Maysville Public Ledger
1917-10-26 Jury Disagree in Frasure Case, Big Sandy News
1917-12-03 - 12-06 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-12-03 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-12-06 For Fifth Time, Maysville Public Ledger
1917-12-07 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-12-08 - 12-10 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
Family and Friends Photographed in Front of the Lawrence County Courthouse, Lawrence County Courthouse
1917-12-11 - 12-12 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-12-13 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
1917-12-14 Life Sentence for Frasure, Big Sandy News
Submissions from 1918
1918-1-10 James L. Potts Called to Rest, East Kentucky Jornal
1918-01-03 Contracts for Midland Trail to Be Let in February or March, East Kentucky Journal
1918-01-31 In Memory of Jas. L. Potts, Easy Kentucky Journal
1918-03-02 Last Chapter, East Kentucky Journal
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
1918-06-20 Biggs Convicted, East Kentucky Journal
1918-03-12 Lawrence County Clerk's Records, Lawrence County (Ky.) Circuit Court
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 1960
Death of Stella Kinney, No Author Listed
Submissions from 1962
Stella Kenney Ballad, Charlene H. Potter and Kentucky Folklore Record
Submissions from 1964
Killin', Jean Thomas1964
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
Submissions from 1992
1992-04-22 78-Year-Old Murder Still Haunts Family, Becky Walker and Olive Hill Times
Submissions from 2006
Stella Kenney: A Little Problem in Evidence, Richard H. Underwood and Journal of Southern Legal History
Submissions from 2015
Presentation Notes on What Happened to the People Who were involved in the Trials, Lydia Justice Edwards
Submissions from 2016
75 Men from Madison County, Lydia Justice Edwards
2016-01-29 Beautyville: Murder in my Family (Part 1), Lydia Justice Edwards and Eastern Kentucky Voice
2016-02-05 Beautyville: Murder in my Family (Part 2), Lydia Justice Edwards and Eastern Kentucky Voice
2016-02-19 Beautyville: Murder in my Family (Part 3a)), Lydia Justice Edwards and Eastern Kentucky Voice