Zamere Purnell found guilty of first degree murder
SALISBURY, Md. – A 19-year-old’s fate is sealed.
“While it certainly doesn’t bring anybody back, it does give some level of finality and guilt to a really horrible situation,” explains Kristen Shultz, a prosecutor with Wicomico County State’s Attorneys Office.
The Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s office is taking the case of Zamere Purnell as a win after the 19-year-old was found guilty of first degree murder.
One that will hopefully give the family of 67-year-old Pierre Louise some closure after he was killed last year.
Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes says, “Mr. Louise was brutally murdered in his home where he lay with his two-year-old. This is not a crime we are willing to tolerate here in Wicomico County.”
On March 17, 2018, Purnell made his way to the 500 block of Priscilla Street in Salisbury with the intention of robbing the victim’s home. But what started out as a robbery quickly turned into a blood bath.
“This case was horrific. I mean it was brutal in every way. 22 stab wounds is just unthinkable to be able to do to another human being let alone throwing bleach on top of them,” exclaims Shultz.
The defense would do its best to try and prove that Purnell wasn’t at the home to rob it since there was over $8,000 found in the victim’s bedroom untouched. Plus that just an aggressive altercation took place between the victim and Purnell that resulted in death.
But the judge would find that there was enough evidence to prove otherwise. And now the Wicomico County State’s Attorneys Office hopes this will serve as a message to the community.
“That we’re not going to tolerate it. If for the family it’s important to let them know that we’re here for them and we’re going to fight for them and that we’re not going to allow these kinds of things to happen in our community.”
Sentencing is set to take place in the next few months but the state tells us that they have filed a life without parole notice,
which means Zamere Purnell could be facing a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
