In 1977, a man named Robert Burns went to a funeral and shot someone, in the head, in front of 300 people. He didn’t deny it, and his lawyer, Tom Radney, didn’t deny it. Burns told a police officer, “I had to do it. And if I had to do it over, I’d do it again.” The man he’d shot was Willie Maxwell, and everyone knew who Willie Maxwell was. Six people who had been close to him had died in 7 years — including two wives, Mary Lou Edwards and Dorcas Anderson. We speak with Casey Cep and John Denson about Willie Maxwell, Robert Burns, and the events that brought Harper Lee to Alexander City, Alabama. Casey Cep’s book is The Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee. (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/537667/furious-hours-by-casey-cep/) Criminal is a show about people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. Hosted by Phoebe Judge. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Join Criminal Plus on Patreon for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, listener chat rooms, behind-the-scenes content, and more membership perks. https://www.patreon.com/Criminal Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. https://pod.link/809264944 Say hello on Twitter (https://twitter.com/criminalshow) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/criminal_podcast) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thisiscriminal) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@criminal_podcast) Sign up for our occasional newsletter, which includes a note from Phoebe, behind-the-scenes photos, and things our team has been enjoying lately. https://thisiscriminal.com/newsletter We also make the podcasts This is Love (https://pod.link/1337100398) and Phoebe Reads a Mystery (https://pod.link/1503921457). Artwork by Julienne Alexander: http://www.yssrs.com/. Check out our online shop: https://shop.thisiscriminal.com/ Episode 127 originally published November 8, 2019. https://thisiscriminal.com/episode-127-the-reverend-11-8-19 Music in this episode: “One Needle” by Blue Dot Sessions “Flatlands” by Blue Dot Sessions “Sunday Lights” by Blue Dot Sessions “An Opus in Bb” by Blue Dot Sessions “Triana” by Blue Dot Sessions “Farsical - Then a Gambling Problem” by Blue Dot Sessions “The Telling” by Blue Dot Sessions “Rally” by Blue Dot Sessions “Flower” by Blue Dot Sessions