Dateline NBC: Where is Brenda McCutcheon now?

The horrific murder of the popular plastic surgeon in the Arden area, Frank Buddy McCutcheon, drew suspicion on his wife, Brenda McCutcheon. The McCutcheon couple had been married for over 30 years, and they were under investigation by the North Carolina Department of Revenue for embezzlement charges, which added to their financial troubles.

A few days later, Frank was found shot inside his Arden home, and the investigators collected evidence against Brenda. She was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison at North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, according to The Citizen-Times.

The Dateline NBC episode titled The Day the Music Died chronicles the conviction of Dr. Frank Buddy McCutcheon's wife, Brenda McCutcheon, as it airs on NBC on August 16, 2024, at 9 p.m. EST. The official synopsis reads,

"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."

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How was Brenda McCutcheon arrested?

Episode 26 of Season 30 of Dateline showcases the murder of the cosmetologist, Frank McCutcheon, as he was found shot to death in his Arden home on July 16, 2016. Brenda dialled 911, informing the dispatcher of being awoken by a loud sound and finding her husband dead on the couch of the TV room.

While she suggested that Frank had been the target of a home invasion, the investigators discovered that the couple had been under investigation by the North Carolina Department of Revenue due to embezzlement charges. The couple was alleged to be misusing payroll withholdings and were served a notice three days before Frank's passing.

Brenda was in charge of bookkeeping at Frank's business establishment in Arden. The authorities found a storage unit she had rented with 55 boxes, of which some were labelled personal taxes while others were labelled insurance claims. According to WLOS, warrants stated that Brenda had also contacted a shredding company to shred the material from 40 of the 55 boxes.

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Where is Brenda McCutcheon now?

The authorities of the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office brought forth circumstantial evidence that led to the charges of first-degree murder of Frank Buddy McCutcheon on Brenda McCutcheon. The evidence was used in November 2017, and Brenda was scheduled for a hearing. According to WLOS, Brenda Kay Parker McCutcheon was indicted in November 2017.

Brenda awaited her trial at the Buncombe County Detention Center as she was held on a bond amount of $750,000. During the hearing, the defence team emphasized the lack of concrete evidence to tie her to the crime. On the other hand, the prosecutors argued that Brenda felt threatened by the ongoing investigation by the State Revenue Department.

The prosecution established a motive and convinced the courtroom of Brenda's crimes. Brenda McCutcheon was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole on February 14, 2020, per WLOS.

At her hearing, Brenda testified for her and vouched for her innocence. She made an appeal, which was rejected in December 2021. Brenda is presently incarcerated at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, according to the North Carolina Department of Corrections.

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Catch all the details of Dr. Frank Buddy McCutcheon's murder as the Dateline NBC episode airs on NBC on Friday.