Frankie Silver 

On Dec. 22, 1831, Charles Silver was murdered [with an axe] at his cabin 
in Burke County, N.C.   His body was dismembered and parts 
subsequently found at various locations in and around the 
cabin.  On Jan. 10, 1832, his wife, Frances ("Frankie") 
Stewart Silver, her mother Barbara Stewart,and brother 
Blackstone Stewart were taken to Morganton, N.C., and charged 
with the crime.  Barbara and Blackstone Stewart were released 
on Jan. 17 due to insufficient evidence, but Frankie was 
indicted by the grand jury in March 1832 and tried later 
that month.  She was convicted on April 2, and sentenced to 
be hanged on July 27 of the same year. Documents were sent to 
the N.C. Supreme Court for appeal, but oral arguments were not 
made on her behalf.  The verdict was upheld, and Frankie Stewart 
Silver was hanged in Morganton on July 12, 1833.  Charlie Silver 
is buried behind the Old Kona Baptist Church in Mitchell County, 
N.C., in three separate graves. 
http://www.ferrum.edu/lwhited/silver.htm

Frankie's great great great granddaughter has constructed
this memorial to her: http://www.frankiesilver.com/

Some believe that this story inspired the song "Frankie and Johnie
were Lovers", but apparently it's not true.

However, there is a play, "Frankie" (see first link above).
The play makes her out to be the victim of an abusive husband
(surprise, surprise...)

And she did have a ballad, "The Ballad of Frankie Silver", 
which later inspired a 50 minute documentary film:http://www.davenportfilms.com/pages/doc_frankie.html
and a book by Sharon McCrumb, "The Ballad of Frankie Silver"
And another book by Mark Briggs, "The Untold Story of Frankie Silver"
And a special Frankie Silver issue of "The North Carolina Folklore Journal".

A web search on "Frankie Silver" produces almost 1000 hits.