Nearly 30 years later, Morgan Violi's accused killer faces a federal judge
– 3 min read
Nearly three decades after Morgan Violi disappeared, the man accused of taking her life stood before a federal judge — and entered a plea of not guilty.
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Robert Scott Froberg appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky in Bowling Green this week for his initial appearance and arraignment on a federal indictment. He's been charged with kidnapping in the 30-year-old murder mystery of seven-year-old Morgan Violi.
According to court records, Violi was abducted July 24, 1996, while playing with her sisters and friends at the Colony Apartments in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Witnesses saw a white man grab Morgan, put her in a maroon Chevrolet van and drive away. Two days later, the van suspected to be involved in the abduction was found south of Nashville, Tennessee, and searched for evidence. Morgan’s body was found on October 20, 1996- three months after her abduction- in the woods in White House, Tennessee.
Justice 30 years in the making: man charged in Morgan Violi’s kidnapping and murder
After decades of staying silent, Morgan’s mother and two sisters reached out to me to open up about the day Morgan was taken, the decades of grief that followed, and their determination to find justice. “I’m Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest
Shay McAlister
Froberg arrived in federal court in FBI custody, having been brought to Kentucky on a writ from the State of Alabama. His defense attorneys waived the formal arraignment process, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.
Froberg told the court he could not afford to hire his own attorney, and after questioning him under oath about his finances, the judge agreed- appointing Assistant Federal Public Defenders Patrick J. Bouldin and Aaron M. Dyke to represent him.
The government wasted no time signaling its intentions: prosecutors immediately moved to keep Froberg locked up pending trial. His attorneys did not fight it- at least not yet. Because Froberg came to court from Alabama custody, his defense team formally waived the detention hearing for now, though they preserved his right to revisit that issue down the road. For now, he's in the hands of the U.S. Marshal Service.
Both sides have seven days to begin exchanging discovery- evidence, statements, records, and any prior criminal history the government has on file.
Morgan Violi's family has waited a very long time for this moment. They were in the courtroom on Tuesday. They faced their sister's and daughter's killer for the very first time. I spoke with the family at the end of last year, before they got the call about Froberg's arrest.
The major update came in February of this year, when the US Attorney's Office announced advancements in forensic DNA testing had allowed them to connect a hair found in the abandoned van to Froberg. They followed the lead, learning Froberg had been escaped from jail at the time of Morgan's kidnapping.
Investigators talked to Froberg with this information, where, according to court documents, he admitted to driving Morgan to Tennessee and strangling her, causing her death.
The next hearing is set for May 12, 2026, at 2:05 p.m.
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