No remorse from Anderson man convicted Thursday of killing step-father, stabbing mother

Moments after he was convicted of murdering his stepfather and attempting to murder his mother, Robert Joe Frost quickly looked back at his mom and told her he loved her.

She didn't respond.

Frost, 53, was sentenced Thursday to life without parole.

After the jury's verdict was read — guilty of murder, attempted murder, burglary, armed robbery and a weapons offense — Circuit Court Judge Cordell Maddox gave Frost a chance to say what really happened at the couple's Iva home on the night of July 15, 2012.

Frost has admitted to stabbing his stepfather and his mother that night but told the judge, even after the verdict and despite a lack of clear evidence or a motive, that a police officer made the final and fatal cuts to his stepfather's throat.

Frost went to his parents home, kicked in the door, put a knife to his mother's throat and demanded money before racing to attack his father and coming back to take $400 from his mother and stab her as well, according to prosecutors and Frost's mother.

Assistant Solicitor Lauren Price said Fayette Davenport only survived her son's attack because a police officer arrived and Frost fled.

Frost represented himself in the trial after he dismissed four attorneys.

The first time he saw his mother since that night in 2012 was when he questioned her on the witness stand Wednesday.

In his closing statement Frost said he didn't kick in the door to his parents house. Instead, he said he "barged" in, breaking a door hinge.

"I did stab my dad and my mom got stabbed," Frost said. "But I never cut him, I stabbed him. I didn't plan this, it just happened."

Price, of the 10th Judicial Circuit, told jurors she was hesitant to even address Frost's wild accusations in her closing statement.

"Ask yourselves," she said, "what would they (police) have to gain? They have no motive to cause him harm, why put their livelihoods on the line to tamper with this, just because? There was no tampering."

She said Frost was hurting over a girlfriend, Kayla Howington, who left him.

Jurors listened earlier this week to 38 minutes of voice-mail messages Frost left for the woman over a period of about a week before the killing.

In the recordings he starts off conciliatory, offering her a convertible if she comes back but he quickly got darker, threatening to hurt himself and then telling her he was about to go to his parents home and "that would be the end of it."

Frost tried to pre-emptively blame his ex-girlfriend for what he planned to do. In testimony, Howington said she only recently listened to the messages.

She shot down Frost's attempts to claim the recordings had been altered and said she knew it was him with each and every word.

Two neighbors who lived near Frost's home in Anderson also testified that he told them earlier that day that he was planning to do something that would end up on the nightly news and they were welcome to pick over items in his house because he wasn't going to be coming back. One of the neighbors testified that he saw Frost put a knife in his motorcycle saddlebag before riding off. A neighbor of the Davenports testified that she saw a man pull a long straight object out of a motorcycle saddlebag and kick down the door.

Frost's mother said he had been jealous of his stepfather since she remarried when Frost was in grade school.

She said her son threatened her, her husband and other family members for years.

Frost stabbed his stepfather more than a decade ago, nearly killing him.

Price told the jury Frost was looking for attention in July 2012 and he settled on fulfilling his violent promises.

"He was taking out his anger and hurt," she said. "He's a burglar, he's an armed robber and he's a murderer. Does he have your attention?"

The jury returned guilty verdicts on all charges in about 45 minutes.

Frost's sentence includes life without parole on three of the charges: murder, attempted murder and first-degree burglary. He was also sentenced to 30 years for armed robbery and five years for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The sentences are to be served consecutively.

Frost asked the judge for mercy.

Judge Maddox said because prosecutors gave notice in advance that they were seeking life without parole and because Frost has a prior conviction of first-degree arson, he couldn't alter the sentences but if he had the choice it would have likely been a similar result.

Frost already has put in paperwork to begin an appeal process, said Lee Cole, the fourth and final defense attorney Frost dismissed. Cole sat beside Frost throughout the trial to give procedural advice.

Maddox said he would remember Frost.

"I'll say a prayer for you," the judge said, before Frost was led away.

Frost did not turn around again to see his mother.