By 1933, Joseph Jeffers was back in Jonesboro for his third and most disastrous visit. His followers had built him a tabernacle, but his grip on the congregation was slipping. Another preacher, Dale Crowley, had stepped in during Jeffers’ absence—and this time, many sided with Crowley instead of the flamboyant outsider.
Two Preachers, One Pulpit
The feud between Jeffers and Crowley escalated quickly. Both claimed the church as their own. Both refused to back down.
On Sundays, two rival services were held at the same time. Two choirs tried to out-sing each other. Two preachers tried to out-shout each other. The congregation was split down the middle, and the atmosphere was toxic.
It was only a matter of time before fists—and guns—came out.
The Shootout
On October 9, 1933, the courts finally ruled in favor of Crowley, declaring him the rightful pastor. But when he arrived to claim the church, he was met by J.W. McMurdo, a Jeffers loyalist who refused to let him in.
McMurdo pulled a gun and fired. He missed. Crowley drew his own weapon and returned fire. Within seconds, McMurdo lay bleeding on the church floor.
The house of God had become a battleground.
The Attempted Jailhouse Murder
Crowley didn’t flee. He turned himself in, claiming self-defense. But Jeffers’ supporters weren’t finished.
On October 17, 1933, a machine gun barrel was shoved through the bars of the jail where Crowley was being held. Bullets sprayed across the cell. Miraculously, Crowley survived by diving beneath his bunk.
The message was clear: this was more than a church squabble—it was a war.
The Trial
Crowley went to trial for murder in January 1934. The case gripped the community. But noticeably absent was Joseph Jeffers, the man who had incited so much of the violence. While others fought, bled, and stood trial, Jeffers had once again slipped away, leaving chaos in his wake.
After four days, a jury acquitted Crowley, agreeing it was self-defense. He went on to pastor the church for several more years before moving into radio ministry.
Jeffers, meanwhile, walked away untouched.
👉 Next in the series: Part 5 – Trial, Betrayal & the Vanishing Preacher
WATCH Chasing Justice Episode: Jonesboro Church Wars
Madman or Messiah? An Investigation into the Crimes & Charisma of Cult Leader Joseph D. Jeffers
From extreme fundamentalist ideologies to the paranormal and the occult, Joseph Jeffers’ message integrated with the times and incited a religious fervor amongst his followers. In the 1930s, he was causing war in Arkansas and inciting violence that would lead to the death of one man and the attempted murder of a local preacher. In the 1940s, he was making headlines in L.A. for his lewd house parties. In the ’50s, his third wife would be brutally murdered. Her homicide would go unsolved. In the ’60s, he would make headlines in Arizona when he gambled off all of the church funds at the race track. In the ’70s, he would prophesy great and mighty things to do with UFOs and the Bermuda triangle. By 1978, he would be building a pyramid to withstand the apocalypse in Missouri. And by 1988, he would die of old age. No one ever stopped this man from stealing millions of dollars, coercing innocent young women, or hiring a hitman to kill his wife. Read this book to find out more about the crimes, the chaos, and the injustice in the life of Dr. Joseph D. Jeffers.
How could this man have gotten away with all of these crimes, and how could he have flown under the radar? After making so many ludicrous headlines, how do we not know the name of Joseph Jeffers?
This episode is brought to you by BONES COFFEE COMPANY.
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