On a summer night in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a series of events tragically culminated in the death of Jeffry Foss, a 59-year-old Caucasian male. On July 1, 2022, Foss was found on a sidewalk in the 600 block of Dale Street North with a fatal gunshot wound to the back of his head. The area where he was discovered, near a garden with picnic tables littered with empty alcohol containers and cigarette packages, would become the focal point of a homicide investigation.
Surveillance footage from the area revealed that earlier in the evening, Foss and a male companion were walking near a building when they encountered two other men, one of whom was later identified as 22-year-old Payton Wood. According to Wood's account to investigators, he and his friend had left some cigarettes and alcohol on the picnic tables. When they returned from getting food, they found Foss and his companion going through their belongings. An argument ensued, during which Wood claimed racial slurs were used.
The confrontation escalated into a physical fight between Wood and Foss's companion. At one point, Foss's companion reportedly pulled out a knife, and to prevent being followed, stabbed a tire on Wood's truck before fleeing. Surveillance video showed Foss running about 20 yards behind his companion. It was at this moment that Wood allegedly fired a single shot from a handgun. He later told police that he was aiming for the man with the knife but instead struck Foss. An autopsy later confirmed that a single gunshot to the back of the head was the cause of death.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Payton Wood initially returned to the scene, pretending to be a curious neighbor. He later admitted to investigators that he came back to learn what had happened. He did not immediately turn himself in, allegedly on the advice of his mother to first secure a lawyer. Several days later, on July 6, Wood and his attorney met with investigators. He claimed he had the gun because of ongoing problems in the area and that after the shooting, he threw the weapon into the Mississippi River. Wood, who did not have a permit for the firearm, was subsequently charged with second-degree murder.
