In the early morning hours of July 26, 2022, a welfare check at a residence in Northeast Washington, D.C., led to a tragic discovery. Inside a home on the 1600 block of Webster Street, 69-year-old Marilyn Payne was found unconscious and unresponsive, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services, who responded to the scene at approximately 5:16 a.m., could find no signs of life. The Black/African American female was pronounced dead at her home.
The investigation into Marilyn Payne's death quickly centered on a domestic dispute. Later that same day, law enforcement arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting. The individual taken into custody was identified as 30-year-old Anna Payne, the victim's own daughter.
She was subsequently charged with second-degree murder while armed.
Court proceedings revealed a troubled history, with documents indicating that Anna Payne had a history of severe mental illness, including multiple stays at a psychiatric institute. Evidence presented during a court hearing included security camera footage that showed Anna Payne outside the house holding what appeared to be a gun around the time she had called her sister to inform her that their mother was dead. In August 2022, a judge found Anna Payne incompetent to stand trial and ordered her to be transferred to St. Elizabeths Hospital, a psychiatric facility, for treatment. In a later hearing in January 2025, a judge denied the prosecution's motion to continue holding her in criminal custody, and her case was moved to family court as she continued to receive inpatient treatment.
