Viswa Vanapalli
NBC News’ ‘Dateline: The Day the Music Died’ focuses on the tragic death of cosmetic surgeon Frank “Buddy” McCutcheon. One night in July 2016, the 64-year-old died of a gunshot wound while at his home in Buncombe County, North Carolina. The sudden turn of events left Buddy’s family devastated and searching for answers. His brother, Richard “Clutch” McCutcheon, and his wife, Rebekah, were interviewed on the show and shared how they processed everything upon learning of Buddy’s death.
Clutch and Bekah McCutcheon Were Close to Buddy
Frank and Bette McCutcheon had four sons and a daughter: Buddy, Clutch, John, Marc, and Missy. Buddy was the oldest and, according to Clutch, the family leader. He described his brother as a wonderful man who loved life. At the time of the incident in July 2016, Buddy was running his practice in Asheville, North Carolina. Clutch later stated that Buddy had planned to retire and move back to Arkansas to stay closer to the family when tragedy struck.
Buddy was found shot to death by his wife, Brenda, at their home on July 16, 2016. He was shot in the head while he slept on the couch in the living room. The authorities eventually zeroed in on Brenda as their suspect because of extensive circumstantial evidence pointing in her direction. She had been managing the practice’s accounts, and in the days before Buddy’s murder, the Department of Revenue had been looking into the firm for embezzlement. Brenda was in charge of paying the taxes, but according to the prosecution, she failed to do it.
Furthermore, the investigators found out that Brenda contacted a shredding company to get rid of about 40 boxes of documents in a storage facility. The prosecution ultimately believed she was the one who killed Buddy and arrested her. Clutch and Bekah called the murder cold-blooded. Clutch, who had known Brenda for more than 30 years, previously remembered her as a wonderful person, but it shocked him when he learned of her arrest. At the time, Clutch thought they had a happy marriage, but investigations revealed that Buddy had been unfaithful.
Clutch and Bekah McCutcheon Are Now Trying to Move On
At Brenda’s trial, Clutch and Bekah testified regarding the emotional toll Buddy’s death had on the family. Clutch stated that it was a “dark place,” adding that it was tragic and terrible. Bekah said that her husband locked himself in a room for weeks, not knowing how to deal with the grief. In the end, Brenda was found guilty and sent to prison, bringing a sense of closure to the family.
Clutch and Bekah married in September 2017, more than a year after Buddy’s death. Since then, they have built a home for themselves in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where they are surrounded by loved ones. They both have children from previous relationships, and although Clutch lost a son a few years prior, they seem to be doing their best to lead a life full of blended happiness. Today, from what we can tell, the former fighter pilot for the Arkansas National Guard, US Marine Corps, and FedEx now serves as a pilot for an aviation company. Nevertheless, it appears as if Clutch and Bekah now spend most of their free time with their family, including grandchildren.
Read More: Where is Brenda McCutcheon Now?
