The Story of Boyd Spencer & Vernon Bryant

In August 1921, a quarrel after church services at Estill Furnace turned deadly, ending the life of young Vernon Bryant and forever altering the Bryant and Spencer families.

In those days, the Spencers and Bryants were more than just names in a ledger—they were neighbors, living only a few houses apart along the winding roads of Powell County. Their lives were intertwined by kinship, shared work, and Sunday mornings at the same church. When tragedy struck, it didn’t just shake two families; it sent ripples through the whole community, touching everyone who called that little corner of Kentucky home.

Timeline of Events

August 1921 – The Tragedy: Vernon Bryant is shot and killed by Boyd Spencer following a dispute after church. Vernon dies at Clark County Hospital.
December 1921 – Trials & Sentencing: First jury hangs; retrial finds Boyd guilty of voluntary manslaughter. Sentenced to 10 years at hard labor, plus loss of citizenship rights.
1922 – Appeals: Boyd appeals, but his conviction is upheld by the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
May 1924 – Pardoned Due to Illness: “Boyd Spencer, slayer of Vernon Bryant, was pardoned from the Reformatory by Governor Fields today on recommendation of the prison physician, Dr. E.C. Roemele, who said that Spencer has paralysis and has but a short time to live. He was taken out of prison on a cot.”
— Lexington Herald, May 18, 1924
October 13, 1925 – Death & Burial: Boyd Spencer dies at home more than a year after his release. Buried at Wireman Cemetery, Estill County.

Obituary of Boyd Spencer (1925)

Mr. Boyd Spencer died Oct. 13th and was laid to rest the 15th in the Wireman grave yard. It was sad to give him up but sweet to hear him say he was going to rest. He leaves a mother, Mrs. Sarah Spencer, of this place, two sisters, Mrs. Maude Smyth, of this place, and Mrs. Emma Morton, of Hardin County, and two brothers, Claude and G. R. Spencer, of this place, to mourn the loss. We all have sympathy for the bereaved ones.

Published October 1925, Wireman Cemetery, Estill County, Kentucky.

Family Lore & Memory:
Over the years, Boyd’s story has taken on a life of its own in family circles. One relative recalled hearing that Boyd was “injured in an explosion”—with no mention of the tragic shooting or his time in prison. Whether this was an attempt to soften the truth, or simply how time reshaped the story, it’s a reminder of how family memories can shift, blur, and sometimes even heal old wounds.

Note: No death certificate has yet been found for Boyd Spencer. His story lives on through obituaries, court records, and the stories told on front porches across Powell and Estill Counties.