In November of 2016, Wayland Busby, a 54-year-old man, was living in a tent near the South Platte River Drive and Dartmouth Avenue in Denver. He was known by an acquaintance to keep his belongings, which included an old laptop, a phone, a wallet, and a couple of watches, in a blue backpack. It was also believed that he may have sold small amounts of marijuana. His life came to a tragic end when a park ranger, on a routine check of the area, discovered his body.
An investigation would later reveal that he had been shot and killed during a robbery attempt.
The man accused of this crime was 29-year-old Makhail Anthony Purpera. According to witnesses, Purpera had a disagreement with Busby and attempted to rob him. Busby woke up during the theft, and Purpera allegedly shot him. Witnesses reported hearing Purpera brag about the killing, even showing off two spent cartridges as trophies. Disturbingly, witnesses also claimed that Purpera spoke of hearing Busby gurgle and choke after being shot while he continued to search for items to steal. The alleged motive for the deadly encounter was the theft of marijuana and other goods.
Makhail Purpera, who was also known as 'Mikhail' and 'Pistol Pete,' was later apprehended by Englewood police on November 12, 2016. The arrest was not initially in connection with the murder but for allegedly stealing a pair of shoes from a Walmart. When he was detained, officers found him in possession of marijuana, suspected methamphetamine, and a. 40 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol. Purpera, originally from Louisiana, was also wanted in connection with a non-fatal shooting in his home state. Following his arrest, he was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated robbery for the death of Wayland Busby and was held in the Denver Detention Center. He was also later identified as a suspect in the killing of another man, Patrick Steven Murphy, whose body was discovered in an Englewood duck pond in February 2017.
