Melvin Purvis was one of the most famous and successful FBI agents in history. He led the manhunts that captured or killed notorious criminals such as John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd in the 1930s. He was hailed as a hero by the public and the media, and even received a personal letter of commendation from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, his career also had its controversies and challenges, and he eventually resigned from the FBI in 1935. On February 29, 1960, he died from a gunshot wound to the head at his home in Florence, South Carolina. What was the cause of his death? Was it suicide, accident, or murder? The mystery remains unsolved to this day.
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The Rise and Fall of Melvin Purvis
Melvin Purvis was born in Timmonsville, South Carolina, on October 24, 1903. He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law and worked as a lawyer before joining the FBI in 1927. He quickly rose through the ranks and became the head of the Chicago office in 1932. He was assigned to lead the investigation of the John Dillinger case, who was considered America’s most wanted criminal at the time. Purvis used innovative methods such as air travel, radio communication, and informants to track down Dillinger and his associates. He also collaborated with local law enforcement agencies, which was uncommon for the FBI at that time.
Purvis achieved his greatest success on July 22, 1934, when he and his agents ambushed Dillinger outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago. Purvis signaled his men to open fire when he saw Dillinger reach for his gun. Dillinger was shot four times and died on the spot. Purvis became a national hero and received widespread praise for his accomplishment. However, he also faced criticism from some quarters, especially from his boss J. Edgar Hoover, who was jealous of Purvis’s popularity and resented his independent style. Hoover claimed that Purvis had been demoted and that agent Samuel P. Cowley had been in charge of the Dillinger case. Hoover also tried to undermine Purvis’s reputation by spreading rumors that he was incompetent, cowardly, or corrupt.
Purvis continued to lead other high-profile cases, such as the capture of Baby Face Nelson in November 1934 and the killing of Pretty Boy Floyd in October 1934. However, he also encountered difficulties and failures, such as the botched raid at Little Bohemia Lodge in Wisconsin in April 1934, where three innocent civilians were killed or wounded and several gangsters escaped. Purvis also faced resistance and hostility from some local authorities who resented his interference or felt overshadowed by him. Purvis became disillusioned with his job and decided to resign from the FBI in 1935. He returned to his hometown and practiced law for a while before becoming involved in various business ventures.
The Death of Melvin Purvis
On February 29, 1960, Purvis was at his home in Florence with his son Alston and a friend named W.O. Mixon. He had recently undergone surgery for a stomach ulcer and was recovering from it. He also suffered from chronic headaches and insomnia, which he treated with painkillers and sleeping pills. He had a collection of firearms, including a Colt .38 revolver that had been given to him by his fellow agents when he left the FBI.
According to Mixon’s account, Purvis asked him to help him fix a jammed bullet in his revolver. Mixon tried to remove the bullet with a pair of pliers but failed. He then handed the gun back to Purvis, who said he would try it himself. Mixon went to another room to make a phone call. A few minutes later, he heard a gunshot and rushed back to see what had happened. He found Purvis lying on the floor with a bullet wound in his right temple. The gun was still in his hand.
Mixon called an ambulance and notified Alston, who was upstairs at the time. They tried to revive Purvis but it was too late. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. The FBI investigated his death and declared it a suicide, although the official coroner’s report did not label the cause of death as such.
The Controversy Over Melvin Purvis’s Death
Purvis’s death sparked controversy and speculation among his family, friends, former colleagues, biographers, historians, and conspiracy theorists. Some believed that he had killed himself intentionally because of depression, guilt, or fear of exposure. Some suggested that he had been murdered by someone who had a grudge against him or wanted to silence him. Some argued that he had shot himself accidentally while trying to extract the jammed bullet from his gun.
The evidence for each of these theories is inconclusive and contradictory. There is no clear motive or evidence for suicide, such as a note, a confession, or a history of mental illness. There is also no proof of foul play, such as signs of a struggle, a forced entry, or a suspicious person. There is some support for the accident theory, such as the fact that the bullet that killed Purvis was a tracer bullet, which was more likely to jam and explode than a regular bullet. However, there are also questions about why Purvis would use such a dangerous bullet in his gun, and why he would point it at his head while trying to fix it.
The mystery of Melvin Purvis’s death remains unsolved to this day. It is possible that the truth will never be known for sure. What is certain is that Purvis was a remarkable and controversial figure in American history, who played a key role in the fight against crime during the Depression era. He was admired by many and hated by some, but he left a lasting legacy in the annals of the FBI and the public imagination.