'Lives are now forever changed': Family in sorrow after Des Moines man shot, killed

Rusty Channon last talked to his cousin, Cory Channon, about a month ago.

His younger cousin reached out to him on Facebook. They talked about their mutual understanding of each other — they both grew up "kind of rough" in Des Moines, Rusty said.

The 45-year-old wanted to take Cory out to play disc golf, meet some of his friends and catch up. But his cousin was busy, and they did not get to meet.

“Sometimes you don’t have time, and we fall victim to that,” he said. “Now, we’ll never get that round of golf.”

Cory, 39, of Des Moines, was shot at about 11:28 p.m. Tuesday inside his apartment at 1332 21st St., authorities said. Police found him with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

William Edgar Burton II, 45, and Crystal Raye Purdy, 36, have been charged with first-degree murder in the killing. Burton was the gunman and Purdy facilitated the shooting, police said.

Burton went to Channon's home on the city's northwest side to confront him about a gun Burton believed Channon stole from him, Sgt. Paul Parizek told the Register.

After the shooting, Burton and Purdy, who are dating, fled the scene and called police about 30 minutes later, something Parizek described as unusual. The couple met with police at the Wendy's restaurant at 4105 SW 9th St., about five miles south of where the shooting occurred, and told detectives that Channon was shot after a scuffle caused the gun to discharge, the sergeant said.

Investigators, however, believe Burton and Purdy went to Channon's home and intentionally shot him with a handgun. Several persons were at or near the apartment at the time of the shooting, Parizek said, and numerous people cooperated with police.

Detectives have not yet determined if Channon actually stole a weapon from Burton, the police spokesman said. The couple and Channon knew each other, and no additional arrests are expected. Burton and Purdy have been taken to the Polk County Jail.

Police have searched the couple's apartment in the 4200 block of SW 7th St., Parizek said. Investigators cleared the scene at the victim's apartment at about 11 a.m. Wednesday.

For Channon's family, Rusty said, the killing left them in sorrow.

Cory was a father and had many friends in Des Moines, Rusty said. He was adventurous, fun and energetic. Out of the tragedy, Rusty said he hopes people learn not to take the people in their lives for granted.

“Lives are now forever changed and for whatever decisions were made last night, the repercussions are now forever,” he said. “Four weeks ago sounds like a long time, but it feels just like yesterday that I talked to him.”

Sheryl Webb, the mother of one of Cory's step-siblings, said he was an amazing person who "had his demons, as we all do." Cory was the half-brother to Webb's daughter and the daughter's sister.

"All in all, he was a huge-hearted soul who loved life and family," she said.

The killing was the first homicide of 2018 and comes after the city recorded 25 homicides in 2017, its deadliest year since 1978, according to police data. By this time last year, three people had been killed, one of whom died in a shooting.