Who is Joe Purdue in Where the Crawdads Sing? What role does he play in the story?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joe Purdue is the deputy sheriff in Barkley Cove<\/a>, the setting of Where the Crawdads Sing<\/a>. Like many others, Joe Purdue is convinced of Kya’s guilt, and pursues her as the number one suspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more about Joe Purdue and what happens to Kya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Something was off about the scene where Chase was found. There were no footprints in the mud near the body.<\/strong> In fact, the only footprints they could find were their own and those of the two boys. Not even Chase\u2019s footprints existed. How could that be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first order of business was to inform Chase\u2019s family of his death. Then, his body was transported to the morgue for an autopsy. Sheriff Jackson<\/a> told the doctor not to mention anything about Chase\u2019s death or the strange circumstances to anyone in town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soon, Deputy Joe Purdue arrived, and the men went about investigating the scene. They were reluctant to call it a murder just yet, but they both agreed it was starting to seem like it wasn\u2019t a freak accident. They photographed the body and surrounding mud. They climbed up the fire tower stairs and saw that one of the grates on the far side was open. Sixty feet below the open grate sat the outline of Chase\u2019s body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both men knew that the evidence was now conclusive that Chase\u2019s body had not been dumped in the swamp. He\u2019d fallen from the tower, a fact that now made the lack of fingerprints and footprints even more suspicious. There was no more doubt that Chase had been murdered. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Along with the report were samples of a red fiber found on the body. Ed held up a plastic baggy holding a small clump of wool fibers. For the first time, the lawmen had a lead. All they had to do was find the red wool garment, whether hat, scarf, or sweater, and match it to the sample. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eight days after Chase\u2019s body was discovered, Ed and Joe both announced they had a piece of interesting information. Over donuts, Joe said he\u2019d heard that Chase had been sneaking out to the marsh for several years. Chase never told anyone what he was doing out there, but he was known to visit the marsh on his own. Joe thought maybe he was mixed up with drugs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ed argued that Chase was an athlete and not likely to do drugs, so Joe suggested maybe he\u2019d been meeting a woman. Again, Ed dismissed the idea. Chase only mixed with the high-class women of Barkley Cove. He wasn\u2019t likely to mess around with marsh trash. Both agreed the circumstances were unclear, but the information did point to a secret side of Chase\u2019s life that may help their case<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When it was Ed\u2019s turn, he relayed that Chase\u2019s mother, Patty Love, had something important to tell them, something that might lead to a break in the case. Her story had something to do with a shell necklace Chase always wore. It wasn\u2019t much of a clue, but with the way the swamp had swallowed up any other evidence, it was worth a shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was raining outside when Joe Purdue walked into Ed\u2019s office with news. Kya was still nowhere to be found, so the deputy had gone out to Jumpin\u2019s to see when she might be coming next. Jumpin’ had given Joe the most interesting news: Kya was gone the night Chase was killed. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nSuspicions Flare<\/strong>: Deputy Joe Purdue Believe Kya is Guilty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Joe Purdue Searches for Evidence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
More Evidence?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
An Innocent Woman<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n