A Swain County man, Ernest D. Pheasant, Sr., age 47, has officially entered a guilty plea to the charge of first-degree murder in connection with a cold case that has lingered unsolved for years within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians territory. The plea was delivered before U.S. Magistrate Judge W. Carleton Metcalf, as confirmed in a statement from Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
The details of the case trace back to December 29, 2013, when Marie Walkingstick Pheasant, estranged wife of the defendant, was discovered deceased within a vehicle that had been purposefully set ablaze along Big Cove Road, as laid out in court documents. An autopsy indicated that the cause of her demise was due to stab wounds inflicted upon her neck and abdomen. Compelling evidence included DNA from a baseball cap found near the scene, which was matched to Ernest Pheasant, essentially to expose his role in the brutal crime.
According to the Justice Department's release, a significant milestone in the investigation occurred on April 7, 2022, when the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit decided to fully re-open the case as part of their dedicated efforts to solve unsolved homicides. This collaborative endeavor brought together resources from multiple agencies, including the FBI, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, along the EBCI Office of the Tribal Prosecutor.
The Department of Justice, along with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina, continues to firmly prioritize the investigation and prosecution of crimes involving Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP). These focused efforts aim to bring justice for victims and provide closure to their families. For those seeking more info on the collective endeavors to tackle the MMIP crisis, visiting the MMIP section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
