Dateline: Unforgettable: Where is Scott Purk now?

Scott Purk
Convicted murderer and serial arsonist Scott Purk (Image via Oxygen)

On Dateline: Unforgettable, Josh Mankiewicz recounts the crimes of Scott Purk, an Ohio man who was first arrested in connection to two arson cases in 2009. But investigators were soon led into his past life when he reportedly murdered his 9-months-pregnant wife Margaret 'Meg' Purk in 1985 and claimed that she committed suicide.

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The synopsis of the episode, titled Secrets From the Grave, says:

"A man claims his wife died by suicide, but a suspicious house fire 24 years later raises doubts; Josh Mankiewicz remembers the suspect who could not stop talking."

Two years later, in 2011, Margaret's body was exhumed and re-examined, and a pathologist ruled her death to be a homicide. That same year, he pleaded guilty to arson cases and was serving a 28-year sentence in prison when he was tried for the murder case in 2015.

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Scott was convicted of his wife's decades-old murder and is currently serving time at the Pickaway Correctional Institution.

Here's more to know about Purk's crimes and involvement in his wife's 1985 murder.


Was Scott Purk guilty of wife's murder and where is he now?

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In November 2015, Scott Purk, then 53, was convicted of his wife Margaret Purk's murder, which occurred decades ago in 1985, and was initially ruled a suicide.

He was given a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 18 years. At the time, Purk was already imprisoned for 28 years after being found guilty in two arson cases. Purk is being held at the Pickaway Correctional Institution.

Purk's crimes include murder, tampering with evidence, insurance fraud, obstructing public service, attempted aggravated murder, and aggravated arson. Before his recent arson conviction, Purk was convicted of burglary in 1986 and was given a seven-year sentence and went by the moniker "Ninja Bandit."

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Scott Purk was initially under suspicion when investigators thought that he orchestrated the 2009 fire to obtain insurance money. Police Lieutenant Ken Mifflin began investigating the 1985 death of Margaret Purk while assisting with the arson investigation at the Purks' home, which pointed to Scott being either involved or guilty.

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Lt. Mifflin spoke about his arrest on Dr. Oz, saying:

"The red flags, in this case, he had backed up his minivan with many different personal sentimental items. He had a cookbook that had been with the family for generations, why would you do that?"

He added:

"It’s because you want to preserve those items, so when you move on with your life, they’re not destroyed in a fire. It was just pointed to more and more that this was an arson."
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Mifflin wanted to reopen Purk's wife's case after developing suspicions, claiming that it may have been murder in light of the fact that Purk mentioned his deceased wife.

The prosecution recounted what they thought transpired during Meg Purk's death, claiming that he killed his 24-year-old wife by strangling her with a belt.


How did Scott Purk kill his pregnant wife Margaret 'Meg' Purk in 1985?

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Scott Purk strangled Margaret, who was nine months pregnant at the time, until she was unconscious, and then took her body, hanged it, and staged the scene to make it seem like she committed suicide.

When her body was exhumed 24 years later for re-examination, a pathologist noticed marks on her body that seemed inconsistent with the hanging suicide theory.

Purk entered a not guilty plea to accusations of murder and evidence tampering. When questioned about the marks, he confessed to using a belt, a rope, and one of her bras while committing the murder.

He was eventually tried and the jury convicted him guilty of all counts and gave him a life sentence with the possibility of parole.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande
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