He then dismembered her body with a chainsaw, burned the remains, and disposed of her crushed bones in a septic pond in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Later that same year, Purkey—working as a plumber—bludgeoned 80-year-old Mary Bales to death with a claw hammer. He returned to the scene in an attempt to set the house on fire, but was seen by neighbors who reported the suspicious behavior to authorities. Police later arrested him, and he pleaded guilty to Bales’ murder.

A Grim Bargain Gone Wrong
While serving a life sentence in state prison, Purkey volunteered information about Jennifer Long’s murder, hoping to be moved to federal custody. However, he failed to secure any agreement regarding sentencing. The result: he was federally prosecuted and ultimately sentenced to death for Long’s murder.

A Painful End: What the Autopsy Revealed
On the