In the spring of 2017, the life of 24-year-old Shomarick Deonte Payne was tragically cut short in his Corinth, Mississippi, home. On April 17, Payne was discovered deceased on his kitchen floor, having sustained a single gunshot wound to the back of his head. Authorities were alerted to the scene on Glover Drive after a friend, concerned for his welfare, found the front door ajar. Investigators at the time believed robbery to be the motive, as several items were missing from the residence. Payne, a Black male, was a 2010 graduate of Corinth High School and had attended Northeast Community College. He was known for his vibrant personality and was employed at Patterson Memorial Chapel.
For several years, the investigation into Payne's murder grew cold, leaving his family and community searching for answers. A significant breakthrough finally came when an individual with knowledge of the case provided crucial information to Payne's family and the Corinth Police Department. This new evidence breathed life back into the investigation and ultimately led to the arrests of two local men. The information provided a new direction for law enforcement, allowing them to piece together the events that led to Payne's untimely death.
The wheels of justice began to turn, resulting in the conviction of two individuals for the murder of Shomarick Payne. Ricky Steven Dante Patterson, 29, of Corinth, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on October 14, 2024. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison by Circuit Judge Kelly Mims. In a separate legal proceeding in March 2024, an Alcorn County jury found Antonio Sauceda Reyes, 32, also of Corinth, guilty of capital murder. Reyes received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prior to his conviction, Reyes had gained notoriety for escaping from the Alcorn County Jail in August 2022 with three other inmates by cutting a hole in the roof, though they were later apprehended. The successful prosecution of Patterson and Reyes brought a measure of closure to a case that had remained unresolved for years.
