Crystal Dawn Coomer Glisson, a 34-year-old woman from Alexander, NC, tragically passed away on May 22, 2013. Crystal was a lifelong resident of Buncombe County and had graduated from AB Technical College with a Paramedic Certificate. She was previously employed with the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office. Crystal was known for her love of photography and flowers, and she was remembered as a loving mother, daughter, granddaughter, and aunt.
The circumstances surrounding Crystal's death were
deeply tragic. On the early morning of May 22, 2013, Crystal was shot and killed by her husband, Mack Chason Glisson, at their home on Cross Anchor Road in Alexander. The couple had been arguing in their bedroom, with Mack accusing Crystal of being unfaithful. Mack shot Crystal with a 30-30 rifle, and then shot her again in the back as she lay wounded on the floor.
Following the shooting, Mack fled the scene in his pickup truck and hid in the Curtis Creek area of Pisgah National Forest in McDowell County. He was captured two days later after an intensive manhunt. The couple's two daughters, who were 13 and 7 years old at the time, were asleep in the next room when the shooting occurred. After finding their mother dead, they ran to a neighbor's house for help.
Mack Chason Glisson, who was 37 years old at the time of the incident, was charged with first-degree murder. During the trial, his defense attorney argued that Mack was "paranoid and delusional" at the time of the crime and had a history of mental illness, including an involuntary commitment to a mental hospital five weeks before the killing. Despite these arguments, the jury found Mack guilty of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The trial and subsequent appeal highlighted the complexities of the case, including Mack's mental health issues and substance abuse problems. However, the court ultimately upheld the conviction, and Mack remains in prison for the murder of his wife, Crystal Dawn Coomer Glisson.
