In the late afternoon of September 7, 2020, a sense of tragedy befell a community in Adelphi, Maryland, near Hyattsville. It was on this day that 21-year-old Payton Markel Marshall, a young man from Woodbridge, Virginia, was found inside a car in a parking lot on Metzerott Road, suffering from a gunshot wound. The discovery, made by patrol officers who responded to the scene at approximately 5:30 p.m., marked the final moments of a life cut short.
Despite the efforts of first responders, Marshall was pronounced dead at the scene. He had been a student at Virginia State University.
The investigation into the violent death of Payton Marshall was undertaken by the Homicide Unit of the Prince George's County Police Department. For over two and a half years, detectives worked to piece together the events that led to the fatal shooting. Their efforts eventually pointed them toward a suspect who was known to Marshall, suggesting a personal connection in the tragic incident, though a specific motive remained under investigation.
In April of 2023, a significant breakthrough was announced in the case. The Prince George's County Police Department publicly identified 34-year-old Jose Linares of Alexandria, Virginia, as the suspect in the murder of Payton Marshall. Linares was taken into custody in Fairfax County, Virginia, and faced extradition to Prince George's County to answer for the charges against him. He has been charged with first and second-degree murder, as well as various firearms offenses, in connection with the 2020 homicide.
