L’Derrick Purnell Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for 2018 Violent Crime Spree

L’Derrick Purnell pled guilty and was sentenced to 60 years in prison for his role in a 2018 crime spree during which he and his two co-defendants committed four armed robberies, stole two cars, and kidnapped, raped, and sodomized a Montgomery woman, District Attorney Daryl Bailey announced.

According to investigators, the crimes took place from September through October 2018, and each of the victims were randomly chosen. The woman, who was brutally assaulted, was leaving a Family Dollar on Fairview Avenue when Purnell and his co-defendants, who were all armed, approached her in the parking lot. They demanded she hand over her purse and phone, and then forced her into the back seat of her car.

Purnell and his accomplices then entered the woman’s vehicle and drove her to multiple remote locations where all three raped and sodomized her. The three men ultimately abandoned the woman in a wooded area near Butler Mill Road and fled the scene in her vehicle.

The investigation showed that Purnell was the leader of the group and both co-defendants pled guilty with agreements to testify against him at trial. Purnell then also pled guilty, and Judge Greg Griffin sentenced him to serve 60 years in prison. Judge Griffin sentenced Lacorey Fuller to serve 20 years in prison and sentenced Jasper Wright to serve 30 years in prison.

District Attorney Bailey expressed his appreciation to Deputy District Attorney Samantha Sizemore, District Attorney Investigator Terrance James, and District Attorney Legal Support Assistant Destiny Norman, as well as Agent C.P. Jackson, Sergeant R.M. Barron, Special Agent J.M. Bridge, and the Montgomery Police Department for their hard work in investigating and prosecuting this case.  

DA Bailey said “The vile, heinous, and disgusting acts of these three violent criminals have no place in our community. I am proud that my office was able to work alongside the Montgomery Police Department to bring justice to this innocent victim and to remove these monsters from our streets. Sexual assault cases are some of the hardest cases to successfully prosecute and they forever change the victim’s life. These three criminals will be in prison for a very long time, and I hope this will help the victim heal. I want to thank Judge Griffin for his sentences and his help in sending the message that if you commit violent crime in Montgomery County you will be caught, convicted, and sent to prison.”