TCU student Wes Smith’s alleged killer may be incompetent for trial, lawyer suggests
The suspect in the shooting death of TCU student Wes Smith in the West Seventh entertainment district will undergo a psychological exam at the request of his defense lawyer.
Barry Norman, a clinical psychologist, will attempt to form an opinion on whether 21-year-old Matthew Purdy is competent to stand trial and will submit a report to state District Judge Ruben Gonzalez, who last week ordered the examination.
Purdy told police he approached Smith, whom he didn’t know, outside a bar early in the morning on Sept. 1. He couldn’t give detectives a clear reason why he shot the 21-year-old junior from Germantown, Tennessee.
The competency opinion was sought by David Owens, one of two attorneys appointed to represent Purdy. Owens suggested in a motion that Purdy may be incompetent to stand trial.
Owens wrote it was his “belief that this client does not have the sufficient present ability to consult with counsel with a reasonable degree of rational understanding nor a rational factual understanding of the proceedings against the client.”
Purdy told homicide detectives that he shot Smith in the stomach and shoulder, then in the back of the head when Smith fell to the ground. Purdy told detectives he wanted to “make sure he was dead,” according to an affidavit.
Purdy told the detectives that before he opened fire, he asked Smith if he knew Purdy’s father, who he said had been assaulted previously near West Seventh Street.
Purdy also hit a witness in the back of the head with a gun before running from the scene. Police found him in a Farrington Field parking lot.
Officers patted Purdy down but apparently did not detect a pistol hidden in his pants before placing him in the back of a patrol car. Several minutes later, Purdy took his 9 mm handgun apart and threw pieces of it from the police vehicle when an officer opened a door, according to the affidavit.
Hundreds of TCU students attended a candlelight vigil in Smith’s memory on campus. Smith’s mother shared a story of faith, hope and love during the gathering inside Scharbauer Hall.
Kelly Trager, an assistant professor at the Neeley School of Business, said Smith was an “absolute joy” to have in her class.
“He was curious, he was motivated,” Trager told the Star-Telegram. “He was very much a group leader.”
About two weeks after Smith’s murder, city leaders unveiled several new initiatives aimed at improving safety in the West Seventh district, including off-duty police officers to wand bar patrons for firearms, more street lights, safety training for bar staffs and the creation of an “ambassador” patrol like in downtown.
The City Council also adopted new zoning rules aimed at controlling the density of bars and clubs in certain entertainment districts.
Crime in the West Seventh district increased 15% in the first 10 months of 2022 compared to the same time frame in 2021, and public intoxication rose 8%, according to city records.
The Fort Worth City Council banned open containers in November 2022 in the district. Earlier that year a 17-year-old was accused of injuring two people when he shot into a crowd outside a bar.
This story was originally published October 16, 2023 at 4:42 PM.
