The small mountain community of Kona, located near Spruce Pine, in Mitchell County North Carolina, has its very own gruesome and horrific murder story that took place on a cold winter night on December 22, 1831. The story tells of a young, 18 year old girl, Frankie Stewart Silver, who murdered her 19 year old husband, Charlie Silver, with an ax. Most in the community believe that
from Frankie Silvers Story, she acted in self defense; however, it was the subsequent dismemberment of Charlie’s body that garnered outcries from the public.
 It is believed that Charlie Silver, being a rumored drunk and philanderer, had returned home drunk and without Christmas gifts for the couples young infant child, Nancy Silver, who was 13 months old at the time. After Charlie Silver began to threaten Frankie, it is believed that Frankie protected herself with an axe, and actually killed Charlie on accident. Whether the death of Charlie was an accident or not, it is believed that Frankie, in shock, went home to her mother’s house and sought help. Frankie’s mother, and brother, Barbara and Blackstone, helped Frankie devise a plan to make it seem like Charlie had just disappeared that night. They decided to cut Charlie’s body into various parts, and burn the evidence. The group only got so far however, before nosey neighbors began to get suspicious. One witness account relayed during Frankie’s trial was that a neighbor snuck into the couple’s home the next day while the group was out, and noticed bits of burned body parts, greasy remains in the fireplace, and large amounts of blood in one area. The neighbor and others immediately turned Frankie in and Barbara, Blackstone and Frankie were all held at the
then local county jail in Morganton.
Frankie’s father, Isaiah Stewart was able to have Blackstone and Barbara released from jail, however, Frankie was charged with murder and put on trial. After deliberating for several hours, and hearing repeat bits of testimony from key witnesses, a jury of all white males convicted Frankie of murder, and sentenced her to death by hanging. Before her execution, the community had a change of heart, and upon hearing of Frankie’s plight, many wrote letters encouraging prominent politicians and those in power to pardon Frankie. Even though the community put forth their best efforts, Frankie Silver was still executed.
Frankie was not the first woman in North Carolina to receive the death penalty. It is believed that because Charlie Silver’s family owned a great deal of land, politicians in the area recognized their power through land and did not want to upset the Silver family by pardoning the woman convicted of murdering their son and brother.
Today, many are intrigued by the young couple’s story and Frankie Silver’s horrific crime. You can visit and see an old chimney that still sits at the site of the Silver homeplace, the place that the couple resided during the time of the tragedy.
Visitors can also see Frankie Silver’s gravesite, as well as Charlie Silver’s final resting place (his body was of course, dismembered) in the Kona Community near
Spruce Pine in present day Mitchell County North Carolina. Visitors
enjoy learning about this piece of mountain history and
making up their own minds up as to whether or not Frankie Silver was truly guilty or not.
I hope that you will take a few moments to tour this site to discover all that we have to offer in the wonderful Spruce Pine, NC area. You'll be glad that you did!
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