From behind the bars of a Texas prison, Purdie Guerra Clark is breaking her silence 17 years after admitting to the fatal poisoning of her boyfriend.
The final installment of season three of Oxygen’s Snapped: Behind Bars, set to air on December 28 at 6 p.m. ET, features Purdie discussing her life for the first time since her 40-year murder sentence was handed down.
A narrator in a preview of the episode describes Purdie as a woman with a romantic history marked by a series of mysterious deaths.
What does Purdie Clark tell Snapped: Behind Bars?
The interview, filmed at the Dr. Lane Murray Unit women’s prison in Gatesville, Texas, on August 28, 2025, sees Purdie reflecting on her actions and how her story has been portrayed.
“After 17 years, I feel it might be time to speak out,” she reveals in the episode preview. “I’ve reconciled with my soul and God about what happened.”
Who did Purdie Clark murder?
In June 2011, Purdie accepted a plea deal, admitting to the 2009 murder of her boyfriend, James Thomas “Bud” Phillips, and received a 40-year prison sentence.
Investigators initially viewed Bud’s death as suspicious, noting his rapid decline and inconsistencies in Purdie’s accounts, which led to a deeper inquiry into her relationships and possible financial motives.
Bud’s autopsy revealed that he died from a lethal dose of strychnine, which was found in his ice cream, Oxygen previously reported.
Find out more about the case and what Purdie shares when Snapped: Behind Bars airs Sunday, Dec. 28 at 6 p.m. ET.
