Cantonment Man Gets Two Life Sentences For Deadly Home Invasion

August 12, 2014

An Escambia County man will spend the rest his life in prison for a deadly drug-related home invasion in Cantonment.

Robert Dale Purifoy, age 34 of Batson Lane in Cantonment, was found guilty in the murder of Amber Tricona Johnson. Johnson 22, was shot and killed during an exchange of gunfire during a home invasion on Stefani Circle in November 2012. Johnson’s boyfriend Justin Stanley was also shot and wounded.

An undisclosed amount of money and a “significant” quantity of marijuana was found at the scene, leading investigators to believe that robbery was a motive.

An Escambia County jury returned the verdict against Purifoy just before 10:00 Monday night. He was immediately sentenced to two life sentences plus five years to be served concurrently with no possibility of parole.

Comments

16 Responses to “Cantonment Man Gets Two Life Sentences For Deadly Home Invasion”

  1. William on August 12th, 2014 7:25 pm

    >>Actually he is sentenced to only one life term and nothing else. That one little word, “concurrently” knocks the second life sentence and the 5 years in the head.

    His sentence was two concurrent life sentences and this important. One was for killing Johnson and the other for wounding Stanley.

    Where is becomes important is on any appeal. If either conviction is overturned and one life sentence is tossed, the other life sentence is still in place with chance of parole.

  2. David Huie Green on August 12th, 2014 5:55 pm

    Rufus,
    You surely remember Christ approved the functions of soldiers and the Roman government, that he explained to Pilate he could do nothing without the authority of God. Rejecting killing killers can be based on other reasons, but that one’s weak.

    David for better people

  3. Ifish4 on August 12th, 2014 5:43 pm

    Actually he is sentenced to only one life term and nothing else. That one little word, “concurrently” knocks the second life sentence and the 5 years in the head. If they really wanted to give him a tough sentence they would run consecutively, and not concurrently.

  4. Earl Baldree on August 12th, 2014 5:42 pm

    The cost of the appeals courts to have an inmate put to death in the nineties was over $100,000 of tax payers money, no telling what the cost is for an inmate to exhaust their court appeals process today.

  5. Jack Legg on August 12th, 2014 3:55 pm

    He got “justice”! Isn’t that what it is about?

    I’m glad David Green has the opportunity to contribute here as well as the “mullet wrapper.” Life just wouldn’t be the same without his wisdom on so many topics.

  6. XD9RACER on August 12th, 2014 2:06 pm

    When you enter in the life of illegal activity you are taking a big chance with your life. There are always people wanting to top you or stop you or reap the benefits from your efforts and not through a joint business venture but through robbery or worse like this one ended. I as most view this as a senseless killing but the culprit didn’t see it that way–maybe the victim knew the culprit and this was his way not to be identified and caught but when the shooting started he felt he had to shoot as well or be shot and still be caught.
    He should have gotten the death penalty and get it over with soon to avoid tying up the court system for 20 years or more. When you know for sure don’t waste the tax payers money–just get ur done. The life sentence might be more agonizing for him but look at all the $’s it takes to have him locked up but much better than him being free to continue making more victims.

  7. Mr master on August 12th, 2014 1:16 pm

    If you know him he’s not right never been right.Its been a long time coming but justice have finally been served.

  8. Rufus Lowgun on August 12th, 2014 12:25 pm

    You people that are constantly calling for criminals to be put to death are taking a lot on yourselves, don’t you think? Is it a lack of faith that God will sort it out in the end that prompts the bloodthirstiness? When I ask myself WWJD, “fry him” is never the answer I get.

  9. cygie on August 12th, 2014 12:06 pm

    How is allowing an inmate on death row to live on the taxpayer’s money for 5,10,15 years not a burden?

  10. Karen on August 12th, 2014 11:50 am

    Life without parole is a much better sentence as Don stated. If he were sentenced to death, there is an automatic appeals process and I assume it would be much more costly to us taxpayers to have to provide him with continuing legal counsel, transportation, etc. than it may cost to house him until death.

  11. David HUIE Green on August 12th, 2014 10:47 am

    You can live outside the law but it is hard to live beyond the reach of the law.
    In the meantime, however, you’re living and dealing with outlaws.

  12. Don on August 12th, 2014 10:12 am

    In my opinion life without the possibility of ever being free again would be worse than death,at 34 he has a lot of “fun” to endure for the next 40 or more years!death would be the kindest fate….

  13. haley on August 12th, 2014 10:07 am

    To never see the light of day, to me is the worst punishment. A life sentence would not be a “walk in the park.” Death sentence is a long drawn out process that takes years and years. I think the punishment fit the crime.

  14. Gembeaux on August 12th, 2014 7:52 am

    Not to blame the young lady for her own murder, but when you play the drug game, surrounding yourself with criminals, this is too often the result. She had possession of “significant amounts of marijuana”, and whether or not she was responsible for bringing it there, she was, at least tacitly, responsible for being part of the scheme in progress.
    It is so sad that both of these young lives have been lost. Praying for this young man that somehow this sentence will be a positive thing.

  15. Randy on August 12th, 2014 6:22 am

    why not DEATH

  16. Perdido fisherman on August 12th, 2014 12:58 am

    I am so disappointed this guy was sentenced to life, he should be put to death. I’m so sick of weak judges putting a burden on tax payers by not sentencing trash like this to death. That young lady didn’t get to have her life and he shouldn’t be allowed to keep his life.