Dateline NBC: What Happened to Frank ‘Buddy’ McCutcheon?

Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.

Dateline NBC is set to re-examine the brutal murder case of Frank “Buddy” McCutcheon that took place in July 2016. The episode, titled “The Day the Music Die,” reveals startling details about the gruesome crime and how an innocent man got killed. It also sheds light on how the authorities investigated the case and caught the killer. The episode will air on the network on Friday, August 16, 2024, at 9 p.m. EST.

On July 16, 2016, authorities discovered the dead body of popular plastic surgeon Frank “Buddy” McCutcheon at his residence in Arden, North Carolina. According to the Citizen-Times, Frank’s wife Brenda McCutcheon called 911 and told the dispatcher about her husband’s death.

During the call, Brenda said someone broke into the house and shot her husband. Subsequently, the police arrived at the scene and found his body in the first-floor TV room of their home. Additionally, investigators stated that Frank suffered a gunshot wound to the head and they found the back door unlocked.

Citizen-Times also reported that investigators found a handgun they suspected was owned by the couple. In the initial round of interrogation, Brenda denied killing her husband.

Who killed Frank ‘Buddy’ McCutcheon?

Authorities continued the investigation and soon discovered that law enforcement agencies investigated Frank “Buddy” McCutcheon for embezzlement. Almost a year after his death, police arrested Brenda McCutcheon for the murder and charged her with first-degree murder (via WXII 12 News). During the trial, the prosecutors claimed that Brenda and Frank had a good relationship. Brenda reportedly gave up her career so that Frank could continue his practice.

However, things went downhill when the Department of Revenue complained against the McCutcheon’s to the criminal department. As per Citizen-Times, the duo held the employees’ payroll withholdings to themselves and didn’t give them to the state’s Department of Revenue.

Assistant District Attorney Meghan Lock said, “The walls were closing in on her, and that’s motive.” On the other hand, the defense tried to prove their client is innocent and stated that Frank “Buddy” McCutcheon had an affair. Additionally, they revealed that Frank withdrew a part of his retirement savings totaling around $300,000.

After hearing several arguments and testimonies, the jury delivered a guilty verdict in the Frank “Buddy” McCutcheon murder case, as per WLOS News. Subsequently, the court sentenced Brenda McCutcheon to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Dateline NBC will explore the aforementioned case in the upcoming episode, airing on Friday, August 16.

Aayush Sharma

Entertainment Journalist by profession and a complete cinephile, Aayush Sharma has been writing about Hollywood movies, US TV shows, True Crime and more from the last 7 years. Previously, he has worked for reputed media outlets such as ANI, International Business Times, and MEA Worldwide.