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Case Description
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Detective Ellery Bertram Purnsley, aged 56, was a dedicated officer with the Chester City Police Department in Pennsylvania. On November 6, 1948, he responded to a distress call at the scene of the Market Street Massacre. The incident began when a dispute between a numbers writer and a migrant worker escalated into a violent shooting spree. The shooter, Melvin Collins, opened fire from his apartment window, targeting pedestrians on Market Street.

Detective Purnsley, who was the first Blac ...Read More
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Victim Details

Ellery Bertram Purnsley

Male

White / Caucasian

Chester

PA

1948-11-06

56

Ellery

Bertram Purnsley

11/07/2025