An apparent familial grudge led to murder on the evening of Sunday, September 6, 1953.
At approximately 9:00 P.M. members of the family of Odell Pennington heard a gunshot. When they went to investigate, they found Odell dead in the smokehouse near their residence. According to the family, Odell had the habit of sleeping in the smokehouse during warm weather.
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| The Rowan County News, Morehead, KY September 10, 1953 |
Beechel Fraley signed a written confession for the crime. His son Clayton was also arrested but later released.
According to Fraley and statement by his son, this is what allegedly happened at the Pennington Family residence, located in the Drewdrop community in Elliott County, Kentucky:
Beechel and Clayton were at the Pennington home from 5:00 PM to approximately 6:30 PM. The left but returned about two hours later, with the intention of purchasing a half-gallon of moonshine whiskey.
The Fraleys stated that they parked their car some distance from the Pennington house and Beechel went to make the purchase.
Beechel stated that he yelled before he entered the smokehouse. When he went through the door, he thought Pennington was reaching for a gun. "So I shot him", said Beechel's statement.
Pennington was shot in the back of the head with a .45 caliber automatic colt. The bullet entered the back of the head and emerged near the right eye, causing instantaneous death.
An investigation all through the night lead to the Fraley's being arrested. During the investigation it was discovered that there had been bad trouble between the two families. Clayton Fraley was married to Pennington' daughter, Patty. Beechel's daughter Bonnie was married to Pennington's son Lindsey.
In October of that year both Fraley's were indicted for willful murder in the death of Pennington. The trial was set for early 1954. Beechel was held without bond in the jail in West Liberty, KY, while Clayton was released on $5,000 bond.
On October 24, 1953, Jailers found 23 feet of rope and five hacksaw blades in Beechel's jail cell. The items were found in a pipe opening left when plumbers had previously removed a commode.
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| Licking Valley Courier, West Liberty, KY October 29, 1953. |
Beechel Fraley was put on trial in early 1954 and was found guilty. The prosecution had sought the death penalty stating that the murder was pre-meditated and carefully planned. However, the jury handed down a life sentence instead of the death penalty.
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| The Rowan County News, Morehead, KY May 20, 1954 |
At some point, Judge David Davis stated that Beechel had told him the pistol he used was covered up in a potato patch. The judge and others later found the pistol exactly where Beechel had said. The gun and the bullet from the murder were sent to the FBI for ballistics tests. The FBI concluded that the bullet had come from the pistol in question.
Beecher Fraley did not file a motion for a retrial.
As for his son Clayton, in February of 1955, charges against him were dropped due to a lack of evidence.
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The Messenger, Madisonvile, KY,
Wed, Feb 09, 1955 |
On March 25, 1957, Beechel escaped from the state prison near Danville, KY by jumping from a milk truck and fleeing from the guards. He was recaptured at his home in Elliott County on July 30, 1957.
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| Licking Valley Courier, West Liberty, KY August 1, 1957. |
Odell Pennington was laid to rest in the Eli Pennington Cemetery at Ault, Kentucky. He left behind his wife, four sons, and four daughters.
Beechel (Bechel) Fraley passed away in 1987 and he is buried alongside his wife in the Elliott County Memory Gardens in Sandy Hook, KY.
Clayton Fraley passed away in 1996 and is buried alongside his wife in t he Vale Cemetery in Springfield Township, Ohio.
