On anniversary of plastic surgeon's death, cold case remains a mystery

Sunday, July 16, will mark the one-year anniversary of Dr. Frank McCutcheon's death. His brother, John McCutcheon, said he won't rest until someone is arrested for his brother's shooting.

"I think about it a lot," McCutcheon said from his home in Fayetteville, Arkansas. "Of course, my whole family thinks about it a lot. We just want to know what happened."

The case remains a mystery.

Buncombe County Sheriff's investigators found McCutcheon at 3:26 a.m. McCutcheon, who had been shot in the head, was on the downstairs couch in his Arden home.

McCutcheon's wife, Brenda, called 911 and told the dispatcher she found her husband dead. Brenda McCutcheon has never spoken publicly.

Last year, family and neighbors said Brenda McCutcheon moved to the Memphis, Tennessee, area soon after her husband was killed.

John McCutcheon said he communicates with her, but wouldn't talk further about the conversations.

John McCutcheon did go over certain facts of the case.

"Someone shoots him in the back of the head, left side of the brain,(the bullet) doesn't come out the front, at three o'clock in the morning.

And, he's asleep on a couch. So, I know that. I know the gun's found out in the yard," he said.

What he doesn't know is who's responsible. The Buncombe County Sheriff's Department did not respond to a request for comment.

John McCutcheon said he has met with Sheriff Van Duncan and detectives and they've been open about certain information and talked with him about investigation's status.

"They've assured me it's a very active case. They've got several detectives still on it," John McCutcheon said.

But he pointed to one possible reason for delays.

"One crime lab in North Carolina, apparently, is extremely slow. But I don't know, maybe they're not slow, maybe they're overloaded," he said.

In the past year, News 13 has spoken with several of Dr. McCutcheon's patients, who said he was a professional and caring doctor.

But investigatory records confirmed McCutcheon and his wife were being investigated by the Department of Revenue. Warrants indicated agents had met with them days before Dr. McCutcheon was found dead.

McCutcheon's wife, Brenda, was the office manager.

"I've been to his practice. There were two nurses, Brenda and him," McCutcheon's brother said.

John McCutcheon said he had some idea his brother may have been struggling. But he added that his brother never elaborated, because he wasn't the type of man who would want to burden his family with personal problems.

"You know, he'd tell me that the practice was tough, having problems so to speak. Of course, plastic surgery is mainly cash," John McCutcheon said.

He said he hopes someone will call the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office or Crimestoppers at 828-255-5050 with an anonymous tip.

"I'm sure any family that goes through something like this never expects it. I also think about what a great doctor, great musician, great brother, great husband (he was). Just a great man," John McCutcheon said.

He said his family has one wish.

"Our goal is to find out who did it, have them arrested, have them go to prison, and I don't mind saying, I hope they rot in hell," John McCutcheon said. "I can't really rest until we find out what happened. Buddy would want me to do that, and I will."