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Cathy McNaughton was a woman, living in the suburb of Sharpsburg, Georgia, who was found dead at her residence on February 15, 2009. When authorities reached the scene, they found the body in a home office. Her husband, Alec McNaughton, was beside her, who had made the 911 call.
Alec claimed that he went for lunch with his mother and found Cathy dead after returning. However, authorities found that no jewellery or valuables were stolen, excluding any suspicion of a burglary. Investigators soon started investigating Cathy's family, close friends, and ex-husband, Gary Mendenhall.
However, when authorities started investigating Alec McNaughton's past, they found shocking evidence. The complete investigation behind finding the killer of Cathy McNaughton is documented in an episode of The Real Murders of Atlanta, which was aired on August 31, 2024.
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5 key details about the murder of Cathy McNaughton
1) Cathy McNaughton was stabbed 30 times to death
As reported by Oxygen, Cathy had been dead for eight hours by the time authorities reached the crime scene. When investigators scrutinized the victim's body, they found Cathy had been stabbed 30 times. Additionally, she had defensive words, which suggested that Cathy struggled with the killer before her death.
Larry Duren, who was the former special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, predicted that Cathy was sitting at her desk and working when she was attacked from behind.
2) Alec McNaughton claimed that he was with his mother when Cathy was killed
As reported by Oxygen, authorities started their investigation by recording an interview with Alec McNaughton. He denied being involved in the murder and reported that he was with his mother on the day of Cathy's murder. As per Alec's story, on February 15, 2009, he woke up around 6:00 am, had coffee, and went out to spend time with his mother in Sandy Springs. Alec said that he reached around 7:30 pm, and found Cathy McNaughton's body.
As reported by Oxygen, Alec's mother provided an alibi for his claims. Additionally, Cathy's home telephone also had Alec's message, where he informed her about going out with his mother. Investigators also found that on the day of the murder, Cathy's ex-husband, Gary Mendenhall, was in the town.
Additionally, he also had a fresh cut on his thumb, raising suspicion. However, Gary provided his flight records, which proved he was on the flight during the time of the murder. He was eventually excluded from suspicion.
3) Authorities discovered that Alec McNaughton had a violent past
As reported by Oxygen, during the investigation, detectives informed the public that they were seeking information related to Cathy McNaughton. This is when one of Cathy's co-workers informed the authorities that she was going to divorce Alec.
When authorities began to investigate Alec McNaughton's personal history, they found that he was going through financial strain. Officers predicted that this could be his motive for marrying Cathy McNaughton, who had a much better financial situation.
When investigators interrogated Alec's sisters, Julie Holden and Anita Cramer, they revealed that Alec was extremely violent to them while growing up. Cramer added that they would suffer regular torture and abuse, but stayed silent out of fear. As per Oxygen, authorities discovered that Alec was married three times before marrying Cathy McNaughton. He physically abused all three of his wives before splitting up.
4) Investigators found Cathy's written papers and photographs from the McNaughton residence
As per Oxygen, when authorities opted for a search operation in the McNaughton residence, they found crucial evidence from Cathy's closet. Reportedly, investigators discovered Cathy's papers and writings, where she revealed that Alex had threatened to kill her three times.
Additionally, the authorities also found a disposable camera. When the three-year-old's pictures were processed, they found Cathy McNaughton beaten up with bruises. Authorities also tracked Alec's phone records and found that on the day of the murder, he had called Cathy not from Sandy Springs, but rather close to their residence.
5) Alec McNaughton was arrested and charged with the murder of Cathy McNaughton
As reported by Oxygen, authorities found that Alec was very angry about Cathy's plan to divorce, which became the motive for his murder. He called the authorities in an attempt to exclude himself from suspicion.
Reportedly, it was on February 27, 2009, when Alec McNaughton was arrested and charged with murder. A year later, in April 2010, he was found guilty of the murder of Cathy McNaughton. Alec was sentenced to a lifetime in prison.
Check out our other articles to learn more details about other cases on The Real Murders of Atlanta.
