Four charged with murder in shooting death of Georgia teen Austin Payne
The gist
Three teenagers and one adult were charged with murder after 15-year-old Austin Payne was found shot dead in an Albany, Georgia apartment.
The case turned on his final call to his mother and surveillance footage.
How it unfolded
- Oct 31, 2026Payne failed to return home after Halloween night. Surveillance video showed six people walking toward the building around 7:35 p.m., and by 7:58 p.m. footage captured a person in a hoodie and shorts jumping out of a window.
- Oct 31, 2026At around 8:03 p.m., Payne called his mother saying he had been shot and needed help, according to phone records cited in the report.
- Nov 1, 2026Officers were called to 810 Cameo Lane, Apartment B, in Albany around 9:51 a.m. after Payne's mother, who had tracked his phone there, found his body on the floor.
Key terms
- Coroner
- A government or judicial official empowered to investigate and determine the cause and manner of a death.
Source: Wikipedia