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Swain County Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Cold Case Murder In Indian Country

Press Release

For Immediate Release:
April 03, 2025

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Ernest D. Pheasant, Sr., 47, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), was sentenced to life in prison today for the 2013 murder of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

This press release was originally published and can be found on the U.S. Department of Justice website.

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