Bushnell teen charged with shooting father in face pleads guilty, will be sentenced on Jan. 14

MACOMB, Ill. — A Bushnell teen will be sentenced for the death of his father on Jan. 14 after entering a plea agreement with the McDonough County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Davin Purden, 19, appeared with attorney Kurt Dittmer on Monday afternoon in McDonough County District Court before Circuit Judge Heidi Benson to plead guilty to first-degree murder. Circuit Judge Nigel Graham will sentence Purden.

Purden faces between 20 and 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for killing his father, Travis Purden, 43, on June 2, 2023. He must serve 100 percent of the sentence. However, the first-degree murder charge was amended as part of the plea agreement because a 25-year enhancement for using a firearm was dropped.

Investigators with the Illinois State Police were asked on June 2, 2023, to conduct a death investigation in a trailer in the 600 block of Osbourne in Bushnell. Travis Purden was found dead in his residence with multiple gunshot wounds to the face. After the investigation, which included reviewing surveillance camera footage and conducting interviews, Davin Purden and Nicholas Lafary were identified as suspects. 

Patricia Purden, Travis Purden’s wife, was charged with obstructing justice, a Class 4 felony. During her preliminary hearing on June 21, 2023, Timothy Becket, an investigator with the Major Crimes Unit for the Illinois State Police, testified that Davin Purden admitted during a June 5 interview he had shot his father in the head. 

Becket also testified that after the shooting, Davin Purden rode with his mother, a juvenile female and Lafary in a car to the residence of Michael Lock’s parents outside Avon (approximately a 10-mile drive from Bushnell). The gun used to shoot Travis Purden was given to Lock with the intention of him disposing of it.

Becket also testified that Patricia Purden had told him that her son admitted to shooting Travis Purden.

Lafary is charged with two counts of first-degree murder. His next scheduled date in court is Dec. 17 for a pre-trial hearing. Monmouth attorney Steven Glasgow now represents Lafary after Andrew Stuckart withdrew from the case in September.

Patricia Purden also is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 17 for a pre-trial hearing. Macomb attorney James Hoyle represents her.