Shooter Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Murder of TCU Student in Fort Worth's West 7th District
- Matthew Purdy, age 23, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Thursday to 60 years in prison for the September 1, 2023, shooting death of TCU student Wes Smith in Fort Worth's West 7th District.
- The shooting took place outside the Your Mom's House bar on Bledsoe Street after Purdy confronted Smith and asked about his father; however, Purdy did not offer police a definitive explanation for the attack.
- Purdy admitted shooting Smith three times—twice in the stomach and shoulder and once in the head after Smith had fallen to the ground—to make sure he was dead and also pistol whipped another person before his arrest.
- Smith, a 21-year-old junior from Tennessee studying both finance and strategic marketing, died after being taken to a hospital, and several of his family members traveled to attend the hearing and address Purdy.
- Purdy received a combined sentence of 206 years for eight additional felony convictions, with the judge permitting the terms to be served simultaneously, while his legal team planned to argue an insanity defense based on his mental health.
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Texas gunman sentenced to 60 years for randomly murdering TCU student outside bar as parents rip killer: ‘Dark and ugly soul’
Matthew Purdy pleaded guilty on Thursday to walking up to 21-year-old TCU student, Wes Smith, outside a bar in the West 7th District of Fort Worth, Texas, just after 1 a.m. on Sept. 1, 2023.
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