On December 2, 1988, the life of 83-year-old Mae Frisbie Stringer came to a tragic and violent end in her Pulaski County, Kentucky home. For more than two decades, her death was officially attributed to a house fire, a conclusion that brought a somber, albeit misleading, sense of closure to her family and community. The embers of the blaze on Ringgold Road were thought to have claimed her life, leaving behind a cold case shrouded in presumed misfortune.
The truth, however, remained
buried for twenty-two years. The narrative of an accidental death was shattered in 2010 with a stunning confession that reopened old wounds and finally brought clarity. Michael Andrew Abner, then 47, was arrested for the murder of his neighbor. Following this arrest, Abner began to unravel a dark history of violence, admitting to a string of homicides that had long haunted the region. Among his confessions was the murder of Mae Stringer.
Abner disclosed to investigators that he had entered Mae's home and strangled her to death. In an attempt to conceal his horrific act, he then set the house on fire, creating the illusion of an accidental death that would stand for over two decades. His confession also solved the 1983 cold case murder of 80-year-old Mamie Mercer, whom he had also strangled. With these admissions, the long-held beliefs about Mae Stringer's final moments were painfully corrected. Michael Andrew Abner was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would remain incarcerated for the remainder of his life for the crimes he committed.
