Wayland Busby

Death by Force
Case Description
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On November 5, 2016, Wayland Busby, a 54-year-old homeless man, was fatally shot near the South Platte River in Denver, Colorado. Busby was living in a tent in the area of South Platte River Drive and Dartmouth Avenue at the time of his death. His body was discovered by a Denver park ranger during a routine check of the area.

The investigation led to the identification of Makhail Anthony Purpera, a 29-year-old man from Louisiana, as the primary suspect in Busby's murder. Purpera was acc ...Read More
Links to Additional Sources (7)
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  • FOX31 Denver: Man charged with murder in shooting death of homeless person over marijuana

    •     ...View 6 additional sources
    Victim Details

    Wayland Busby

    Male

    White / Caucasian

    Denver

    CO

    2016-11-05

    54

    Wayland

    Busby

    01/06/2025

    Forum Posts (3)
    I’ve been following the Wayland Busby case for a while, and I can't stop thinking about the role o... ...Read More
    11/20/2024
    Has anyone else been reflecting on the role those Walmart officers played in Makhail Purpera's captu... ...Read More
    03/01/2024
    I've been following the Wayland Busby case closely, and one thing that really stands out to me is ho... ...Read More
    06/24/2023
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