Rita Payne

On May 15, 1997, **47-year-old African American female Rena Mae Payne** was found deceased in an employee restroom at a Cleveland Regional Transit Authority bus turnaround. Her body exhibited signs of a brutal assault, including beating, rape, and strangulation. At the time, the case remained unsolved, with no immediate suspects identified.

In 2015, advancements in DNA profiling led to a breakthrough in the case. DNA evidence collected from the crime scene was matched to **Robert Gene ...