haha EXACTLY what I was thinking. They can't in anyway take the credit for "solving" the crime. The guy walked in and confessed...after he was already a suspect in the case years earlier. Freaking Cops...

thought the same thing, but by the same token, at least they can close the case.

I wonder if this guy has a medical condition that he wants the taxpayers to pay for. I certainly don't think he just wants to clear his conscience. There must be more to this story.

Its getting so hard to live in the USA these days..even murderers are turning themselves in for food, bed and health care.

To me, it's not about who solved what, what the cops did right, what the cops did wrong, or what got handed to them. Stop making it about blame or color or politics or whatever else you can think of.

What matters here, the ONLY thing that really matters, is that that surviving child Barbara Beck will now finally have a sense of closure, will be able to visit her parents grave and tell them they can rest easy now because their killer was caught. She can visit her siblings' grave and tell them that the person who killed Dad and Mom is finally in jail. She will be able to sleep at night knowing that the person who took her parents away from her will now pay for what he's done.

And for her sake, her peace of mind, hopefully she can find it in her heart to forgive him so she doesn't have to live the rest of her life in hatred and bitterness. And when she sees her parents and siblings and family again on the other side of that rainbow bridge, there will be no anger, hatred, sadness or bitterness to mar the joy of their reunion.

Amanda - nicely said :)

I have a feeling that it will come out that this guy is terminally ill and wanted to clear his conscience before he died. Either that or he is faced with being homeless and figures three hots and a cot in prison is better than living on the street at his age. People do not walk into a police station and confess after 30 years just because their conscience got to them.

Claiming a crime is "solved" is merely a semantic. It's just like saying "we" went to war but everyone knows "we" all didn't actually participate in combat.

JS in SD:

People do not walk into a police station and confess after 30 years just because their conscience got to them.

And yet you do see guilty consciences finally having their say. There was something on the news a while back about someone who felt so bad about having stolen from a store where they worked as a youth that they returned what they stole with interest and an anonymous letter.

The definition of "Solve" is to clear up or explain something. So technically they did solve it. They just didn't figure out "who dunnit" on their own.

No its not

Definition of SOLVE

transitive verb

1
: to find a solution, explanation, or answer for <solve a problem> <solved the crime>

I thought he confessed because he was 85, and dying. He is only 66? Just wow.

I don't care how it got solved. The fact that he walked into a police station to confess is the sign of a guilty conscience. His guilt got to him.

Put him on the electric chair, and let the only surviving daughter pull down the switch. That'd be justice. And good riddance to bad rubbish!

Wait... I keep forgetting this was one of the reasons I left Iowa--no death penalty.

Maybe he became like a Christian and found some sort of new outlook on life???

The details of the crime that have been released make this perp to be a real sicko. He wanted to maximize the victims' pain and degrade them.

Please tell me Iowa is civilized and still has the death penalty.

You people look ignorant. You're taking his words too literally. It is obvious, with basic reading comprehension, that he is referring to the fact the case has obtained closure. He makes this clear by stating the guy turned himself in. And yes, in this context, the case has technically been solved. He is NOT implying the cops solved the crime through police work.

Learn2read.

ur moms, get the burr out of your ass.

Well it does imply that uR moms! Stop twisting it the way you want it to read! It appears the person that needs to Learn2read - is you! Now with that being said...............to the rest of you.

The first thing that hit me was they did not solve crap and the nerve of this individual to indicate such! They were not even working the damn murders! If this man had not come forward - it would still be a cold case!

Most of the cases are solved by citizen's anyway - the initial feedback and leads usually come from us - the detectives then take it the rest of the way to substantiate proof.

@ Stop Bankruptcy!!! "christian!!!!" LMAO! HAHAHA You have GOT to be kidding!!! If he were a so called "'christian" he would still be hiding it! LOL Religious people are some of the most dishonest, misleading, thievery and hypocritical people on the face of the earth! ROFLMAO!

I think, having to live with this all this time and finally confessing is punishment enough. God bless him, let him go with a free heart. Forgiveness is next to Godlyness.

Did the crime, he should pay the ultimate penalty! Death Penalty! O oh wait! I forgot, we are too nice in this country to use it, so he will spend his life in prison for now on!@($

Now if commits suicide, he can finish what he started. He can totally clear his conscience. Case totally closed

The murderer must have read Edgar Allen Poe's story, "The Telltale Heart"! It's hard to live with a guilty conscience.

Another guy confessed to a murder committed in Texas twenty or thirty years ago last month...He turned himself in too....So this does happen, in a country of 300 million all kinds of strange things happen...The odds are great for strange occurrences in this heavy populated world and since we now have instant global communications you are able to be connected to all of these stories....

Carrie: Iowa does not have the death penalty.

More proof, what a joke the American Criminal Justice System is.

Lot of keyboard cowboys out there crying for the death penalty. I am guessing many of them call themselves Christians. I'll practice what you preach, even though I'm not. You can explain to your god why you supported institutionalized killing.

And solve simply means "explain". If I solve a math problem, all I'm doing is putting together strings people proved long before me. That doesn't mean that it's not solved; just because I didn't do all the work.

Sometimes this place makes me want to hit myself with a hammer until I'm too damaged to read.

"But we were happy to be able to say we solved the crime."

Can anyone come up with a better example of self-aggrandizement?

"We couldn't do our job in a timely fashion but we are going to claim the glory for closing the case."

I totally agree...he probably got sick and has no insurance. He's already done time...this will be short and sweet for him.

Planned Retirement at our expense.

double murder equals the chair or whatever form of execution they have.

Iowa doesn't have the Death Penalty. Too bad, this guy surely deserves it.

Shane

Iowa doesn't have any.

Sorry TX, you weren't there when I started writing. Didn't mean to repeat.

Or maybe his conscience got to him. People do repent and make atonement.

So he'll stay healthy long enough to regret what he's done, and dying behind bars will be a fitting punishment.

And think what the other inmates will think abut someone who tortured to death an 80 year old pair of grandparents. Many of those inmates have/had grandparents.

@different - repent to whom or what? Don't tell me we have to hear about this imaginary power in the sky you guys march around twirling a baton about all the time!

@Segdirb - you seem to enjoy critisizing things you dont know about... whats with the backwards bridges?

Yep, that and preferring to be jailed as a murderer than a pedophile. Too bad.

I would have tried robbing a bank first. If I get away with it then I have money to spend, if not then I still get my way. One way ticket to prison.

According to local articles, when asked his address he replied 'The jail, here" And yes, the only sentence for first degree murder in Iowa is life without parole, but at least they have suicide watch.

umm, while i agree they didnt solve @!$%#. blaming them for his crimes is a bit rediculous. personal responsability people. and if they didnt have the evidence. they shouldnt arrest. its not what you know, its what you can prove in court that counts.

Melissa

There is a lot more to the "system" than what we think, feel, or even know. It takes evidence to hold, charge, try, and convict someone. They had none. If they had tried to do any of it at that time the killer would have been rich and the cops would have been going to jail. That is just the way it is.

If they didn't have enough evidence to convict him, they couldn't try him again double jeopardy.

Totally agree with Melissa - COPS don't take credit for solving the crime. The old guy needs a place to stay and 3 square a day + all the medical care he requires. Not looking at the death penalty, and even if he were, he would most likely die on death row. Again, don't take credit where no credit is due...

Melissa: Don't be an ass, if the cops had the evidence to make an arrest they would have. Haven't you ever read about the countless number of people that done many years in prison only to be found innocent deep in to their sentence?

If the evidence doesn't warrant an arrest one shouldn't be made.

Think before you make assine statements.

No telling how many innocent people you would locked up without concrete evidence just so you could say " I got Him"

Thank God your not in law enforcement, if you are, turn in your badge.

Yeah, spending your golden years getting cornholed by your cellmate Big Toothless Jim Bob sounds like a great retirement plan.

Crying shame - when you torture and murder 2 elderly folks you deserve to be cornholed by a "Big Toothless Jim Bob" all day, everyday for the rest of your miserable life. Seems some tool was used on the elderly man by this monster. Maybe he won't have a "great retirement plan" but he will get to eat, sleep and wake up everyday for the rest of his miserable life.....

Let's be serious here. Do you really think Big Toothless Jim Bob, Big Bubba, Leroy, or any other perv would take a second look at some sixty-six year old saggy ass old man when there are so many cute young little tight asses to pick from?

He killed a pair of grandparents. Those convicts in prison had/have grandparents too. If they don't touch him physically they'll terrorize him mentally. I am willing to bet he will get what he dished out. Not to mention which, some tough who's already doing life might decide to shiv him in a prison riot. He has nothing to lose, after all, and this man is going to be DEAD.

and this man is going to be DEAD.

And so are the rest of us - in or out of jail.

Amanda this man is going to plead guilty, he will be sentenced and delivered to the prison in which he will do time. He will quietly do his time because most prisoners are not as blood thirsty as you seem to want to believe (lucky for you because most prisoners will get out of prison eventually).

He will wake up when he is told to, he will eat when he is told to, he will shower when told to and he will go to bed when told to. People who are actually in danger are most often moved into PC but this old guy is not in danger. He didn't kill a pregnant woman and he didn't kill children and he isn't a serial killer. This man will die when his time is up just like you or I.

They don't know his motivation, because he didn't say:

"Police have no idea what prompted Pursel, who is being held..."

I doubt he found Jeebus. What he did find is a 100% paid retirement with zero tax liability, zero responsibility, and almost zero chance he will ever be executed ahead of natural death. He'll get full medical care, 3 full meals a day, and all the company he can stand.

Yeah, how many murderers find Christ and give their lives over to him? Like all of them, at least until the trial is over.

He'd probably murder someone else to get in.

Yes should have been, "closed the case".

I hope the police say "Here, Jack... put on this blindfold while we put fresh batteries in the cattle prod."

Must be tough in life to keep going knowing everyone else is keeping you down. Of course personal responsibility has nothing to do with it.

Whatever you say Cappy............. Idiot

You're right Cappy...the truth hurts them so don't even pay attention to them. Once they learn to accept the truth...

As you can see there's only 3 pages, but let that have been a black...there would be 103 pages, all with derogatory statements about all blacks this, and all blacks that and even some words we don't use.

Donald, I'm going to need you to focus. Nowhere did I say anything about personal responsibility or anyone keeping anyone else down. I made a statement that you can't refute, so you regurgitate your talking points. At least you tried. Weaver just resorted to third grade name calling.

Justice delayed is not justice denied. Maybe justice denied to a human agency, but depending on what you believe and more importantly what this guy believes, sooner or later Death the Great Equalizer will come for him, and whatever Supreme Deity he might believe in will settle accounts and give him exactly what he deserves, no more, no less.

Angela. You have no idea if he committed more crimes, making a statement that suggest positively he did is irresponsible.

Not saying I feel sorry for this guy but there is no way of knowing if he's guilty of more crimes unless he confesses to more. I do agree law enforcement should take a second look at the unsolved like crimes in the area in which he lived but to ASSUME he's guilty of more is foolish.

One of my uncle's did ten years in prison for man slaughter. He's been out and living a clean life for over 30 years. The man is a pillar in his community, raised a great family and contributes many hours of his time serving the community in many capacities.

People can and do change.

Obama made the order that took out Osama - do you read and comprehend???

i knew some douche would bring up obama!

@mimiof2 - The situation was placed on Obamas lap, just like in the above article. Did you think Obama was giving the Seals pointers on where to look? LOL

I think Obama promised us when he was running for president that he would make getting Osama a top priority. When he WAS elected president,he told his people to make getting Osama their top priority. They in turn made getting Osama their top priority. They put more people on it. They turned up a lead. Would it have happened without that order? Perhaps. Perhaps no. There is no way of knowing. What we do know is that they found where they thought he was. They trained hard for it. When the time came,Obama and his people got together in a conference room and discussed the info. They did not want to make a mistake. Killing a Saudi prince in his summer home could be problematic. Both politically and internationally. Make no mistake,Obamas political opponents would have pounced on a failed attempt to kill Bin Laden. Whats worse,if things went really sideways,we ended up smoking a Saudi prince,and his body guards got a couple of Seals in the process,it would be a disaster. Most of his advisers told him no,dont do it,we cant be sure its him,its to risky. Apperantly the CIA director had some balls,and told him that he thought he should take the bastard out.

Obama apperantly had some balls too,and gave the order.Did Obama "Kill Bin Laden"?

Well in one sense,no Obama didnt parachute into the compound with a dager clutched in his teeth,sneak into Osamas room,sneak up behind him and slit his throat while he was wanking to some pornos while saying a clever one liner like an action movie hero.

On the other hand,Obama had a massive military and espionage machine at his command,that would do his bidding with but a word. They came to him and said "we know where Bin Laden is" He told that massive military machine,"Capture or kill Osama Bin Laden",and it was done. The Navy Seal in that room didnt kill Bin Laden,the bullet did. But the Seal pulled the trigger. Obama pulled the trigger on the Seal that pulled the trigger on Bin Laden.

I say Obama killed Osama Bin Laden,because without that order,Bin Laden would still be whacking it "Busty Asian Beauties".

Great reply Michael. I, also, was waiting for someone to play the race card...or maybe we call it the Obama card.

My first question is: what does our President have to do with two 30 year old murders?

People are so strange now. People keep blaming President Obama for not turning the economy quickly enough when we ALL heard John Boehner's statement that making President Obama a one term president was the ONLY goal of the republicans in congress. Not jobs, not helping the economy, and there are people that have been nominated by President Obama in the first month of his presidency who are still waiting to be confirmed! What a sad state of affairs.

If you tell a lie often enough there are people who are lazy enough not to check on the lie and then after hearing BOTH sides of an issue with an open mind, then decide. Hitler actually convinced an entire country that Jewish people should be murdered. Six million of them died because of a lie that was told often enough.

Now we are being told by the right that by breaking and bankrupting the middle class and giving the top 1% more tax cuts. Corporations are people? Then who goes to jail when a corporation breaks the law? Does the corporate office get turned into a cell? Of course not.

As for this issue, I am guessing that this guy is old and wants to be taken care of until he dies. Since he is old he would probably be put into an area with other elderly inmates for his own protection. Too bad his victims didn't have protection from him.

And arguing about semantics? Silly, just silly. Potato, potahto.....

This is a diversion. there are lots of diversions. Don't think about Scott Walker in WI. Don't think about Rushie slandering a young, private citizen who's "crime" in Rushies mind was that she had the temerity to testify before congress. OMG!! The right has begun a war on women, minorities, poor, and the elderly and people are arguing about semantics. I worry about America.

Too bad we haven't evolved further by now.