Buried Bones - a historical true crime podcast with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes Last Rites
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Oct 22, 2025 Travel back to 1921 Alabama, where a Catholic priest is shot on his porch, igniting a historic investigation. Explore the implications of anti-Catholic sentiment and Klan influence during a tumultuous era. Delve into forensic details, including bullet trajectories and the psychology of the shooter. Discover the chaotic trial marked by racial theatrics and prosecutorial failures. Unpack the legacy of the victim and the community's reaction to an acquittal that highlighted systemic corruption and the struggle for justice.
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Priest Shot After Last-Minute Wedding
- Father James Edwin Coyle had just finished marrying Ruth Stevenson and Pedro Guzman when he was shot on his rectory porch. Stella and Marcella heard two shots, a pause, then a third as they rushed outside and saw a tall man in black walking away with a gun.
Autopsy Indicates Distant, Lethal Headshot
- The fatal bullet entered just in front of Father Coyle's left ear and blew through the base of his skull, causing unsurvivable brain damage. Dr. Mason observed no powder burns, suggesting the fatal shot came from some distance rather than contact range.
Bullet Trajectories Point To Lawn Shooter
- Deputies found multiple bullet holes in the rectory clapboards with trajectories entering higher than they exited, and a steel-jacketed .38 projectile embedded in an interior bookshelf. The jacketed rounds explain deep penetration and through-and-through travel consistent with bullets passing into the house.
