On the Fourth of July in 2016, Robert Allen Payne, a 31-year-old African American man and a respected educator in the Chester-Upland School District, was found dead in his car. The vehicle was still running at the corner of Third and Kerlin streets in Chester, Pennsylvania, when he was discovered in the driver's seat shortly before 6:45 p.m.
Payne had been shot multiple times. An autopsy would later reveal he suffered 23 entry wounds to his head and body.
The investigation determined that a high-powered assault rifle was used in the attack, with thirteen casings recovered from the busy intersection. Despite the public nature of the location, his death remains an unsolved homicide.
The investigation into the murder of the beloved English teacher and expectant father is ongoing by the Chester Police Department and the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division. Investigators have not publicly identified any suspects or a motive in the killing. An 18-year-old woman whom Payne had arranged to meet found him and called 911. She initially cooperated with the investigation but became uncooperative months later. Authorities have considered the theory that Payne may have been lured to the location, though it has not been substantiated, and there were no initial signs of a robbery. No arrests have been made in the case.
