I don't like to kill NPCs in any game that I play. At least not the named ones. However, I made an exception and hunted down every member of the Silver-Blood family, and even a few of their higher ranking guards. I won't get into the reasons since this is the non-spoiler forum, but despite the fact that I killed them all stealthily, my reputation in the town seems to have taken a hit - although it seems to be people who were friends with the Silver-Bloods that know. Their mine foreman mentions that I have blood on my hands, and one of their guards says he wants to punch my face in. What I'd like to know is, how did they even know I did anything? There were no witnesses. Guards never came after me. Fortunately, those two are the only ones who have said anything about it, to my knowledge. I'm hoping it stays that way. Nobody should even know I did anything.

Did you do the Cidhna Mine quest?

Yes. Which was a contributing factor to me wanting to kill the Silver-Bloods. Not to mention the fact that one of them is marked as essential until after its completion. However, the foreman and the guard wouldn't be upset over Cidhna Mine. They would be upset that I killed the Silver-Bloods, which they shouldn't even know about. None of the guards are calling me a murderer. Nobody else in town is, either. Only those two guys who worked for them. I didn't side with the people in the mine, if that's what you were asking. After the quest, the Silver-Blood thanked me, and I shot him with an arrow in stealth mode.

Good man, OP. I eradicated the Silverbloods as well. I also take pleasure in slitting the throats of any Markarth guards foolish enough to wander into the shadows. For the record, I killed Madanach as well. I don't like being pushed around.

I also find it weird that if you kill someone and they see the body the guards/people become enemies to you. How do they know you killed them? It could of been anyone, like a member of the Dark Brotherhood.

Maybe it's Nocturnal, messing with your luck.

LoL

It's downright amazing the knowledge of current events that the people throughout Skyrim have.

You can do something at one end of Skyrim, fast travel to the opposite side, and the people there already know about it.

I think I might just go ahead and murder the two guys who are complaining. They're not exactly innocent. The foreman in particular is talked about like a slave-master. I just hope that their deaths will put an end to people calling me a murderer. Ironic statement, I know, but people shouldn't know I killed them if I do it right.

Edit: Unfortunately, one of them is immortal.

Those innkeepers really know how to spread gossip!