The man charged with the 2023 murder of Wes Smith, a TCU student, pleaded guilty in court on Thursday morning and was sentenced to 60 years in state prison.

Matthew Purdy Jr., 23, pled guilty to murdering Smith and was also sentenced to 20 years in prison for the aggravated assault of another TCU student he ‘pistol-whipped’ right after the murder, according to the District Attorney’s press release.

Smith, a 21-year-old junior and finance major from Tennessee, was murdered in a shooting outside of a bar on West 7th Street on Sept. 1, 2023. He would have graduated from TCU last semester.

Purdy was sentenced in eight other felony charges, for a total of 206 years in prison and the sentences will run concurrently.

In the early hours of Sept. 1, 2023, Smith was standing outside of a bar in the West 7th District helping a friend get a ride home when Purdy came up to him and shot him three times.

According to the investigation, Purdy then pistol-whipped an 18-year-old woman as she ran from the shooting.

In a police interview, he said he didn’t shoot her because he ran out of bullets.

Police later found Purdy near Farrington Field, about two blocks from where the shooting occurred.

Smith was taken to a local hospital where he later was pronounced dead.

Wes Smith’s father, Philip Smith, told Purdy during an allocution that he believed his son died a hero and Wes’ two brothers spoke highly of his living legacy.

“Wes had a way of drawing out the best of us,” Dorree Smith, Wes’ mother said. “Our family of five has a big, big hole. He loved his friends and family, lived life fully with boundless energy, had a great way of listening, and so much more.”