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The horrifying murder of Frank Buddy McCutcheon in 2016 brought the small community in Tree Top Drive in Buncombe County to a standstill. Frank was found with a gunshot wound to his head on July 16, 2016, at his home. Frank's wife, Brenda, dialed 911 after she had found her husband dead on the couch.
Frank was a popular plastic surgeon in Arden, North Carolina at the time of his death. The investigation put suspicion on Frank's wife, Brenda, who turned out to be the killer and was convicted of first-degree murder.
The Dateline NBC episode titled The Day the Music Died showcases the horrific murder of Dr. Frank Buddy McCutcheon as it airs on NBC on August 16, 2024, at 9 p.m. EST. The official synopsis reads,
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"After a plastic surgeon and local musician is murdered in his Asheville, North Carolina home, investigators uncover a trail of clues pointing to an unlikely killer; new details emerge from exclusive TV interviews with insiders close to the case."
Who was Frank Buddy McCutcheon?
Frank Noah McCutcheon Jr. was born on January 5, 1952, in Little Rock, Pulaski County to parents Frank Buddy McCutcheon Sr. and Bette Mae Bacchus McCutcheon. He grew up with three brothers John Wood McCutcheon, Richard McCutcheon, and Marc McCutcheon, and a sister Melissa Melton.
He graduated from Fayetteville High School in the year of 1970. Frank went on to attend medical school at the University of Arkansas.
He completed his residencies at the University of Arkansas and the Bowman-Gray School of Medicine before graduating in 1978. Frank turned towards cosmetic and reconstructive surgery in January of 1985. He practiced in Arkansas until 1999 before he moved to North Carolina.
Fondly known as Buddy, Frank was a cosmetic surgeon for over 32 years and a musician on the side who knew how to play multiple instruments. He was interested in the American Civil War and U.S. History and thus, loved to discuss the subject. Frank had been married to Brenda McCutcheon for over 30 years and the two allegedly shared a healthy relationship.
What happened to Dr. Frank Buddy McCutcheon?
On July 16, 2016, the first responders and the Buncombe County sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call at the home of Frank Buddy McCutcheon at Tree Top Drive in Arden. According to Citizen-Times, Frank was found dead with a gunshot to his head at 3:30 a.m. local time.
Frank's wife, Brenda McCutcheon, had claimed she found him dead in the first-floor TV room on the couch. She had mentioned in the 911 call that she presumed someone had broken into their home and shot her husband. The officers took note of the back door of the house being unlocked.
While there were no murder weapons around the body, a handgun that belonged to Frank was found in some rows of ivy outside the house. The warrant mentioned that Brenda McCutcheon alleged Frank often slept on the couch with the back door open.
The detectives from Buncombe County Sheriff's Office, Detectives John Ledford and Walt Thrower, interrogated Brenda and she maintained her innocence during the initial stages of interrogation. However, the truth unraveled as the investigation progressed and the suspicion lay on Brenda.
Catch all the details of Dr. Frank Buddy McCutcheon's murder as the Dateline NBC episode airs on NBC on Friday.
