Law Enforcement Officer. A member of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, in 1933 he led the group that gunned down bank robber and "Enemy Number 1" John Dillinger in Chicago, Illinois. In 1934 he led the group that gunned down gangster Charley Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd in an Ohio farm field. After these exploits he received much public claim and fame, which ran him afoul of FBI director, who did not like FBI agents to receive so much public attention. He eventually drove Melvin Purvis out of the agency and put up roadblocks as Purvis sought other employment. In 1960 Purvis was found dead at the top of a staircase in his home with a gunshot wound his head. It was officially ruled a suicide, but other facts suggested otherwise, and his death remains mired in mystery.
Law Enforcement Officer. A member of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, in 1933 he led the group that gunned down bank robber and "Enemy Number 1" John Dillinger in Chicago, Illinois. In 1934 he led the group that gunned down gangster Charley Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd in an Ohio farm field. After these exploits he received much public claim and fame, which ran him afoul of FBI director, who did not like FBI agents to receive so much public attention. He eventually drove Melvin Purvis out of the agency and put up roadblocks as Purvis sought other employment. In 1960 Purvis was found dead at the top of a staircase in his home with a gunshot wound his head. It was officially ruled a suicide, but other facts suggested otherwise, and his death remains mired in mystery.
Family Members
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