Christian Purcell

Christian Purcell was a student at the Winterborne Public School, and the nephew of its headmaster, Gavin Purcell.

Raised by his uncle, Christian was instilled with the belief — by Purcell and his predecessor as headmaster, Mr. Wittaker — that he was the reincarnated spirit of Isaac Greatorex, the school's occultist founder who was ultimately executed for his gruesome witchcraft. Purcell and Wittaker revived many of Greatorex's rituals. Christian grew into the role convincingly, and may even have been possessed by the evil spirit, to the extent that the older men began to take orders from him. Doubting Wittaker's commitment, Purcell accomplished Christian's murder of the retired teacher, and attempted to cover up Christian's ritualistic killing of two dogs. When Christian murdered his fellow student and lover, Luke, Purcell took the blame to protect his leader. As Christian's murder spree continued, however, it became obvious that Purcell was not the mastermind of the cult. He broke down to Liz Shaw and begged forgivenness for turning his nephew into an insane monster, and tried to talk him out of murdering Andrew Powell. Christian then vanished.

Some months later, Christian's body reappeared and Gavin Purcell was released from prison for lack of evidence. Almost immediately, Andrew Powell began to be haunted by the ghost of Christian — in truth, the spirit of Greatorex — compelling him to resume the ritual murders and complete his resurrection. Andrew killed one of his fellow students but vanished when interrupted by the returning Purcell. Using Purcell's knowledge of the evil rituals, he, Liz and new school head, Ms. Wyndham, summoned the evil spirit. Appearing first as Christian, he possessed the body of Purcell but was finally destroyed by Liz, in the process reducing Gavin Purcell to a dessicated husk.