In the quiet community of Veto, Alabama, a place where the stillness of the early morning is rarely broken, the life of 51-year-old Melanie Payne came to a violent end. Originally from Prospect, Tennessee, Payne, a female, had sought refuge with friends in this northern Limestone County community, fleeing a man she had grown to fear. In the pre-dawn hours of a Tuesday in late July 2020, her fears were tragically realized when she was fatally shot at the residence where she was staying.
The man she feared, and the individual quickly identified as the suspect in her murder, was 21-year-old Samuel Quentin Hoback, also of Prospect, Tennessee. Their acquaintance, which had soured over the preceding year, had taken a dangerous turn. Payne had become so frightened of Hoback that she left her home state, a move precipitated by an incident just a week prior to her death when Hoback allegedly fired shots into her Tennessee home. Her relocation to Alabama was a desperate attempt to find safety.
The day before the fatal shooting, Hoback had been released from jail on bond for prior charges. His history was one of escalating violence, including a previous arrest for attempted first-degree murder. On the very day of her death, Melanie Payne was scheduled to testify against Hoback in a bond revocation hearing. In the hours leading up to the shooting, Hoback was reportedly seen multiple times near the Alabama home where Payne was staying. Following the early morning shooting, authorities believe he fled to his parents' house to change vehicles and his clothes before returning to Alabama. A collaborative effort between the Limestone County Sheriff's Office and deputies from Giles County, Tennessee, led to his apprehension later that same day.
Upon his arrest, Samuel Quentin Hoback was charged with murder. During the investigation, authorities found methamphetamine and a. 38-caliber handgun in his vehicle. In addition to the murder charge, he faced a probation revocation for previous convictions of theft and possession of a controlled substance. He was booked into the Limestone County Jail, where he was held without bail.
