Walter Stevenson Jr., a 69-year-old African American man, died on August 29, 2014, in Asheville, North Carolina. His death was the result of a shooting incident that took place at the residence of his girlfriend, who was the mother of Sheryl Pagan Todd. Todd, 59, confronted Stevenson along with another family member, attempting to convince him to end his relationship with her mother. The confrontation escalated when Todd brandished a racquetball racquet, intending to hit Stevenson in the head.
In response, Stevenson took out a folding pocketknife from his bathrobe pocket and opened it. Todd then drew a .25 caliber pistol from her handbag and shot Stevenson once in the chest, resulting in his death.
Following the incident, Sheryl Pagan Todd was arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter. She pleaded guilty to the charge on May 8, 2017, and was sentenced to four to six years in prison. During the sentencing hearing, the court heard testimony from Todd and her brother, and viewed a defense video with excerpts from a police interview of Todd. In the interview, Todd confessed to shooting Stevenson but claimed it was an accident. The defense also played a 911 call made from the crime scene by Todd, in which she sought medical assistance for Stevenson while claiming to have acted in self-defense. The defense presented an expert on firearms, who testified about defects in the 90-year-old pistol’s safety mechanisms.
The case was particularly difficult for all family members involved, given the size of Stevenson’s family. Stevenson was survived by twelve children, four of whom attended the sentencing hearing and presented statements to the court summarizing their loss and concerns about Todd's sentencing. The survivors expressed relief that the case was concluded, allowing them to move on with their lives while continuing to cherish the memory of their father. The Buncombe County District Attorney's Office acknowledged the tragedy for families on both sides of the case and the satisfaction in bringing closure for the victims' family.
