Reverend Edwin R. Stephenson (1870 - August 4, 1956) was a minister of the now extinct Methodist Episcopal Church, South and a member of the Ku Klux Klan.[1] He shot and killed Catholic priest James Coyle in 1921 in Alabama, but was acquitted of the murder. His main lawyer was Hugo Black.[1]
Rev. Stephenson was a son of W. F. Stephenson, a Confederate Army veteran.[2] A part-time clergyman. Stephenson worked as a barber and married people for the county. In 1921, six months after his father died, he became incensed when his daughter converted to Catholicism. A known member of the Ku Klux Klan, he could not restrain himself when his daughter married a Catholic immigrant named Pedro Gussman from Puerto Rico. The marriage ceremony had been performed by Father Coyle. On the evening of August 11, 1921, the enraged Stephenson fired three shots at Father Coyle as the priest sat on the porch of St. Paul's rectory. There were many witnesses/[1] Stephenson turned himself in to the authorities.[3]
Stephenson's preliminary hearing was held on 24 August. His daughter testified that he had often made threats against Coyle's life. Coyle's sister and housekeeper testified that there had been no raised voices or scuffling prior to the shooting, contradicting Stephenson's claimed that he had fired in self defense after the priest threated and assaulted him.[4]
The trial started October 17, 1921. The defense entered a dual plea of "not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity", arguing that Stephenson had acted both in self defense and had been temporarily insane at the time.[5][6][7] His daughter Ruth was not called as a witness in the trial.
Stephenson was acquitted and released. He died in 1956 at the age of 86.[8]