Bio

Lonnie Wayne Pursley was born on September 17, 1961, in Houston, Texas. He grew up in a small town called Coldspring in San Jacinto County. He dropped out of school after completing the ninth grade.

In 1987, he was convicted of burglary and received a five-year prison sentence. After serving three years, he was released on parole. However, it was not long before he found himself back in trouble.

Pursley was returned to prison in 1990 on a ten-year sentence for theft. He was paroled again after about 14 months but continued to struggle with the law. In 1992, he faced another conviction that resulted in a twenty-year sentence for burglary. He spent just over three years in prison for that charge before being released on parole once more.

By the mid-1990s, Pursley was living in San Jacinto County. He was known to have difficulties with drug use and faced various challenges throughout his life that contributed to his repeated incarcerations.

Murder Story

On March 28, 1997, Robert Earl Cook was driving home from work in Livingston, Texas. That same day, Lonnie Wayne Pursley was visiting relatives with his family. After an argument with his wife, Pursley left their gathering on foot. Testimony at trial suggested that Cook offered Pursley a ride, which led them to Cook's home. Following some time spent together, Pursley had Cook drive out into the woods where he brutally beat Cook to death and stole his rings.

Witnesses later saw Pursley driving Cook's vehicle, which had blood on both the inside and outside. Pursley used the victim's rings to buy drugs. He also told several people that he had killed someone. DNA evidence linked him to the crime, specifically through a cigarette butt found in the ashtray of Cook's car. Pursley was arrested on April 20, 1997.

A grand jury indicted Pursley for capital murder on August 7, 1997. The trial concluded with Pursley being found guilty on January 20, 1999, and he was sentenced to death. Various appeals followed, but both state and federal courts upheld his conviction and sentence. Ultimately, Pursley was executed by lethal injection on May 3, 2005, in Huntsville, Texas.