on january 7, 1941, the valparaiso "vidette-messenger" reported that governor m. clifford townsend, a democrat, was considering granting an early parole to stephenson. no parole was approved that year. stephenson was paroled on march 23, 1950, by a democratic administration, but violated parole by disappearing on or before september 25, 1950. on december 15, 1950, he was captured in minneapolis and returned to custody. he was sentenced in 1951 to serve 10 years in prison. in 1953, he pleaded for release, denying that he had ever been a leader of the klan. on december 22, 1956, the state paroled him, on condition that he leave indiana and never return. stephenson relocated to seymour, indiana, where he soon married martha dickinson (they were separated less than a year later).