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By Mark Bivens
Jason A. Purifoy, 35, of Malvern, was found not guilty Monday in Garland County Circuit Court of the shooting death Jan. 17, 2007, of Shawn Michael Henderson, 26, in Henderson’s home in Hot Springs.
The jury of eight women and four men acquitted Purifoy of the charge of first degree murder which could have carried a sentence of life in prison. Purifoy has been in jail since his arrest on an unrelated charge Jan. 20, 2007. Purifoy was charged with murder Feb. 7 and bond was set at $1 million. Henderson was reportedly shot six times in the head at his home on Shady Grove Road. Testimony began Wednesday in Garland County in front of Judge Marcia Hearnsberger. All the residence’s doors were found to be locked. Henderson’s body was found face down. It was determined that there was no sign of any forced entry or anything missing. Dr. Frank Peretti, the associate medical examiner at the state crime lab who performed the autopsy on Henderson, testified that there were six gunshot wounds, including a wound to the roof of his mouth. Investigators served a search warrant at Purifoy’s residence on Jan. 30, 2007, and they found several items of clothing as well as ammunition, but tests revealed no traces of blood.
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