A man, previously a fugitive in the case of a 7-year-old girl from Kentucky, has now been charged with her murder, nearly three decades later, according to officials.
Morgan Jade Violi was taken on July 24, 1996, while she was playing outside her apartment in Bowling Green. Her disappearance puzzled investigators for 30 years until recent forensic advancements linked Robert Scott Froberg to the case.
Kyle G. Bumgarner, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, announced during a news conference that Froberg, already incarcerated in Alabama, was indicted on charges of kidnapping and manslaughter on Thursday.
“Morgan’s abduction and murder have left an indelible mark on her family,” Bumgarner shared.
He also noted that the incident deeply impacted the community of Bowling Green. “We all remember the fear that gripped us then. I recall worrying about my own kids playing outside,” he remarked, as a Bowling Green native.
Witnesses reported that Violi was taken by a man in a burgundy van, which was later found abandoned at a truck stop in Tennessee. That van, notably, had been reported stolen in Ohio days prior.
Bumgarner stated that forensic evidence collected from the van was crucial in connecting Violi’s case to Froberg decades later. “Fibers taken from Morgan’s hair were matched with evidence linked to him,” he explained, noting how the suspect remained unidentified for so long.
Thanks to advancements in forensic testing, the FBI reexamined the hair samples this year, ultimately connecting a DNA profile to Froberg.
Interestingly, Froberg had escaped from an Alabama prison in April 1996 and was later seen interacting with a young boy in Pennsylvania while hiding in a treehouse. The boy’s parents contacted authorities, leading to Froberg’s arrest.
After a brief stint in a Pennsylvania prison, he managed to escape again just before the van theft in Ohio, which happened close to where his family lived.
This week, confronted with the evidence, Froberg allegedly admitted to abducting Violi after stealing the van. “Morgan was fighting hard, screaming, and resisting. She was truly a warrior,” Bumgarner remarked.
He revealed that Froberg confessed to stopping in a wooded area in Tennessee, where he silenced Violi, which sadly resulted in her death, leaving her body in the forest.
Arrested for a separate prison escape shortly after Violi’s murder, Froberg has remained behind bars ever since.
Bumgarner mentioned that if convicted, Froberg could face life in prison or even the death penalty. He added that the community has long feared that Violi’s killer might have been living among them, worrying that “one of our children could be next.”
He expressed hope that this development could provide some comfort to Violi’s family. “They’ve been seeking answers for far too long,” Bumgarner emphasized, urging the community to continue offering love and prayers to Morgan’s family.
