A Body in the Basement: Murder On Repeat on ID - How Did Barbara Purcell Die?

A Body in the Basement season 1, the brand new true crime documentary series, makes its return with episode 3, titled Murder On Repeat, this Wednesday, August 2, 2023, at 9 pm ET, exclusively on Investigation Discovery. The A Body in the Basement episode will explore and examine the complex and astounding murder case of Barbara Purcell, dating back to 2001.

The official synopsis for the A Body in the Basement episode, given by Rotten Tomatoes, reads as follows:

"In June 2001, just outside Rockford, Ill., a welfare check leads police to a woman brutally murdered in the basement of her once quiet suburban home; the hunt for her killer will lead detectives to a mystery that has been buried for over 14 years."

Ever since the news of the new episode titled Murder On Repeat, of A Body in the Basement season 1 was released by ID, the followers of the show have been quite curious to learn all about what happened to the victim, Barbara Purcell. The woman from Illinois was brutally murdered in her remote home in Winnebago County in June 2001.

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Learn all about the chilling 2001 murder case of Barbara Purcell, as A Body in the Basement: Murder On Repeat airs on ID

Who was Barbara Purcell?

A still of Barbara Purcell (Image Via Find a Grave)

Reportedly, Barbara Purcell, known as Lorrie to her loved ones, whose story is showcased in the latest episode of A Body in the Basement, was a resident of Illinois. She was born in 1955. She had a brother named Sheldon Bird. The woman used to work as a professional therapist at the Rockford Memorial Hospital, located in Rockford in Winnebago County, Illinois.

As per Cinemaholic, her profession had an immense influence on her personality, making her quite a kind-hearted and caring individual. Before starting to work at Rockford Memorial Hospital, Barbara Purcell was a waitress at an Oklahoma restaurant. While working there, she met a traveling salesman named Willard Henry “Will” Purcell.

As reported by Cinemaholic, the two fell in love and went on to tie the knot. After getting married, Barbara shifted to Rockford with her husband Will and began working at the hospital as a therapist. She seemed to have a healthy and happy family life, as per her close ones. However, everything turned upside down when she was found inhumanly murdered at her residence in Rockford at the age of 46 on June 6, 2001.

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What happened to her?

A still of Willard Henry “Will” Purcell (Image Via Find a Grave)

Reportedly, on June 6, 2001, Barbara Purcell's colleagues became quite worried about her well-being when she failed to arrive at work. After getting no response from her home, they informed the police about their concern. When the police appeared at Barbara's home, they became suspicious after observing an open basement door and a broken door pane.

When the police officers entered the house and went down to the basement, they discovered Barbara Purcell's heavily injured body, with a bloody head, lying on the stairs in the basement. She was immediately taken to the hospital, where she was declared dead.

Later on, her autopsy report revealed that the cause of her demise was multiple blunt-force head injuries, which included a basal skull fracture. After thoroughly examining her body and the staircase, the forensic experts determined that it was not an accident.

The woman was murdered as she had contusions on her hip, arms, and legs, along with a fresh right knee abrasion. Reportedly, on the same day, within a few hours, the authorities found the murderer and arrested him. It was none other than Barbara's husband, Will Purcell.

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Episode 3 of A Body in the Basement arrives on Investigation Discovery on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, at 9 pm ET.