Matthew Purdy Jr., 23, pled guilty Thursday to the murder of Texas Christian University student Wes Smith and was sentenced to 60 years in prison. He also received a 20-year sentence for aggravated assault of another TCU student and was sentenced in eight additional felony cases, totaling 206 years. All sentences will run concurrently.
The shooting occurred in the early morning hours of September 1, 2023, outside a bar in Fort Worth’s West 7th District. Smith, a 21-year-old junior from Tennessee, was helping a friend get a ride home when Purdy approached and shot him twice. As Smith lay on the ground, Purdy shot him once more in the back of the head.
Following the shooting, Purdy pistol-whipped an 18-year-old woman who fled the scene. During a police interview, Purdy stated he did not shoot the woman because he had run out of bullets. He was arrested a short time later near Farrington Field, two blocks from the crime scene.
Smith was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.
During sentencing, Smith’s family delivered emotional statements. His father, Philip Smith, addressed Purdy directly, saying, “I believe he died a hero taking that bullet so no one else had to.” Wes’s mother, Dorree Smith, described her son as a joyful and compassionate person, saying, “Wes had a way of drawing out the best of us.”
Assistant District Attorneys Ashlea Deener and Rose Anna Salinas prosecuted the case on behalf of the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.
