in 1961, at the age of 70, stephenson was arrested in independence, missouri, on charges of attempting to sexually assault a sixteen-year-old girl but he was later released after paying a $300 fine because the charges were dropped on grounds of insufficient evidence. he was ordered to leave missouri immediately. a few years later, in 1966, stephenson died at his home in jonesborough, tennessee, and he was buried at the usva mountain home national cemetery in johnson city, tennessee.