In February of 2014, the life of 31-year-old Curtis Payne was cut tragically short in what would unfold as a complicated and devastating series of events. It began when a woman named Kearstain Sleeth claimed to friends that Payne had assaulted her. This accusation set in motion a fatal plan of retribution that would ultimately lead to Payne's murder in his own Springfield, Missouri home.
Driven by Sleeth's story, a group of three teenagers were enlisted to carry out the act of vengeance.
While Sleeth waited outside, the three teens broke into Payne's residence and shot him. The violent intrusion ended Payne's life and began a lengthy legal process to bring those responsible to justice. Investigators pieced together the events of that fateful day, leading them to Sleeth and the teenagers she had incited.
The subsequent legal proceedings saw Kearstain Sleeth facing a Greene County jury. Prosecutors argued that even though she did not pull the trigger, her role in instigating the violence made her culpable for Payne's death. In January 2018, the jury agreed, finding the 27-year-old Sleeth guilty of second-degree murder for her part in orchestrating the fatal shooting. In addition to Sleeth, the teenagers involved also faced the consequences of their actions. Two of the teens entered guilty pleas for their roles in the murder. A fourth individual, Tyler Keithley, was also charged with second-degree murder in connection with the case and was scheduled for a bench trial in May 2018.
