In the spring of 1981, Donna Payant, a 31-year-old female corrections officer, was just beginning her career at the Green Haven Correctional Facility in Stormville, New York. A mother of three, she came from a family with a history in corrections; her husband was also a prison guard, and her father had retired from the service.
On May 15, 1981, only a month into her new job, Payant received a phone call while on duty. She informed a coworker she needed to address a problem and was last seen heading towards the prison chaplain's office. When she failed to return at the end of her shift, a massive search of the prison grounds began. The search extended through the night, and eventually, her scent was traced by search dogs to the prison's garbage collection area. Her body was discovered the next morning at a landfill 20 to 25 miles away from the facility.
The investigation revealed a brutal crime. Payant had been lured to the chaplain's office, where she was attacked, strangled with a Venetian blind cord, and bitten. After her death, her body was wrapped in plastic garbage bags, placed in a 55-gallon drum, and disposed of in a dumpster.
Suspicion quickly fell upon Lemuel Smith, an inmate who was already serving multiple life sentences for murder and kidnapping. Smith worked as a maintenance clerk in the chaplain's office, giving him access to the area where the attack occurred. A crucial piece of evidence came from forensic odontology; bite marks found on Payant's body were matched to Smith's dental impressions, linking him to the crime.
Lemuel Smith was charged with Donna Payant's murder on June 6, 1981. His trial garnered significant media attention, as this was the first time in the United States that a female corrections officer had been killed while on duty inside a prison. On June 10, 1983, Smith was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death. However, his death sentence was commuted to another life sentence a year later after a successful appeal questioned the constitutionality of the law under which he was sentenced. Smith has maintained his innocence in Payant's murder, claiming he was framed by other prison guards to prevent her from exposing corruption. Despite his claims, he has remained incarcerated and, as of early 2024, was serving his sentence in a maximum-security facility.
