Springfield mother’s slaying featured on true-crime TV show

A true-crime TV show will feature an episode on Saturday about the 2015 slaying of a Springfield mother.

Oxygen’s “Cold Justice” follows prosecutor Kelly Siegler and her rotating team of detectives Steve Spingola, Tonya Rider and Abbey Abbondandolo, as they travel to small towns to dig into unsolved homicide cases.

The episode “An Officer’s Promise” will air at 8 p.m. Saturday. The episode will detail the death of Candance Prunty, 26, whose ex-boyfriend, Thomas Albert, was indicted in connection to her death after the episode was produced.

Albert, 38, was indicted for aggravated murder, murder, aggravated burglary, felonious assault, having weapons under disability and tampering with evidence on the Clark County Common Pleas Court in August. He awaits criminal trial, scheduled to begin Dec. 6, according to court records.

Prunty was shot and killed in October 2015 at her house on West Mulberry Street. She was shot in her head and neck, according to a police report. Family members found her on the kitchen floor after she didn’t show up to get her children from school. Prunty’s sons were 1, 4 and 7 at the time of her death.

In 2018, the Springfield Police Division attempted to gather more information about Prunty’s death, as well as more information about other local cold cases, through a billboard campaign. A billboard on Spring Street featured Prunty’s picture, as well as information about her death and a phone number to call with tips.

“Law enforcement agencies often rely on public assistance in solving crimes,” said Springfield police Capt. Tom Zawada. “This is particularly true in cases where families have lost someone to violence and they seek answers.”

Prunty’s mother, Patricia Beard, declined to comment about the show.

Albert is in prison on counts of attempted murder and aggravated robbery from Franklin County, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction. He has been an inmate since July 28, 2018, and he is not eligible for parole until 2045, according to prison records.

Credit: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction

Credit: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction

About the Author