💔 “Mom, I’ve Been Shot”: Georgia Mother Tracks Her Missing Son’s Phone and Finds Him Dead in Abandoned Home — Four Arrested Just Days Before His 16th Birthday

Austin Payne should have been counting down the days until his 16th birthday. Instead, his mother was desperately searching for him after he failed to return home on Halloween night. Police say the 15-year-old had made a heartbreaking phone call to tell her he had been shot. When he did not come home, she followed his phone’s location to an abandoned apartment in Albany, Georgia. There, she made a discovery no parent should ever have to face. Now, four people have been charged with murder, and Austin’s family is preparing for a funeral instead of a birthday celebration.

ALBANY, GEORGIA — November 9, 2026 — A Georgia mother searching for her missing teenage son made a devastating discovery inside an abandoned residence after tracking his cellphone on the morning following Halloween.

Austin Gage Payne, 15, was found dead inside an apartment on Cameo Lane in Albany on Sunday, November 1.

According to Albany Police Chief Michael Persley, the teenager had contacted his mother after being shot.

When Austin failed to return home, his mother began searching for him.

She used her phone to determine the location of his device.

The search led her to an abandoned apartment, where she found her son unresponsive.

Emergency authorities responded, but Austin could not be saved.

On November 4, the Albany Police Department announced that four people had been arrested and charged with murder in connection with his death.

The suspects include three teenagers and a 22-year-old man.

The arrests came as Austin’s family faced another heartbreaking reality.

He would have turned 16 on November 12, just eleven days after his death.

A Halloween Night That Ended in Tragedy

The events began on Saturday, October 31.

Austin was away from home during Halloween night.

The precise details of his movements have not been fully established in public reporting.

However, investigators say he was with a group of people before the shooting.

At some point after midnight, the situation turned violent.

According to witness accounts reported by local television station WALB, armed individuals approached the group and demanded their belongings.

Gunfire followed.

Austin was wounded.

What happened immediately afterward remains part of the investigation.

But police have confirmed one particularly heartbreaking detail.

Austin contacted his mother to tell her he had been shot.

During a November 2 news conference, Chief Persley acknowledged that the teenager had made the call.

For his mother, that communication would become part of the final hours of her son’s life.

The authorities have not publicly released the full conversation.

They have also not established the exact timing of every event following the shooting.

A Mother Follows Her Son’s Phone

By Sunday morning, Austin had not returned home.

His mother was increasingly concerned.

According to the Albany Police Department’s incident report, she began searching for him after he failed to come back from the previous night.

She used cellphone location tracking to determine where his phone was.

The device’s location pointed to a property in the 800 block of Cameo Lane.

The address was associated with an abandoned apartment.

Austin’s mother went there.

Inside, she discovered her son lying on the floor.

Police were called to the residence.

Officers responded at approximately 9:51 a.m.

Investigators later identified the location as 810 Cameo Lane, Apartment B.

The discovery transformed a missing-person search into a homicide investigation.

Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler pronounced Austin dead at the scene at approximately 10:30 a.m.

For his family, the morning brought an unimaginable loss.

The child they had expected to return home was gone.

The Final Phone Call Raises Heartbreaking Questions

One of the most emotional aspects of the case is the information shared by Police Chief Persley.

Austin had apparently been able to contact his mother after suffering his injuries.

That detail raises questions about the period between the shooting and the discovery of his body.

Investigators have not publicly established how long Austin survived after making the call.

It is also unclear whether anyone attempted to help him immediately after the shooting.

The available reports do not establish why the teenager ended up inside the abandoned apartment.

Those unanswered questions are significant.

They may help investigators reconstruct the circumstances surrounding his death.

But until police release further findings, it would be inappropriate to invent the words Austin spoke or suggest that authorities have confirmed the exact sequence of his final moments.

What is known is devastating enough.

A 15-year-old boy told his mother he had been shot.

The following morning, she found him dead.

Four Suspects Identified

On Wednesday, November 4, the Albany Police Department announced a major development.

Investigators had identified and arrested four individuals in connection with Austin’s death.

They were identified as Jansquincey Donaldson, 15; Omari Marion, 15; Adarious Wallace, 16; and Detravion Parker, 22.

All four were charged with murder.

According to Albany police, the suspects were transported to the Dougherty County Jail.

Their arrests followed several days of investigative work.

Detectives examined surveillance footage, cellphone records and witness statements.

The evidence helped authorities reconstruct events from Halloween night and the early hours of November 1.

Police have not publicly provided a complete account of each suspect’s alleged actions.

The precise role prosecutors attribute to each defendant may become clearer during subsequent court proceedings.

For now, all four are accused of involvement in Austin’s killing.

They remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Was Austin Targeted During an Attempted Robbery?

Local reporting has raised the possibility that the shooting occurred during an attempted robbery.

According to WALB, witnesses told investigators that armed individuals approached a group walking with Austin.

The individuals allegedly demanded property from the group.

Shots were then fired.

Investigators have also examined information suggesting that Austin may have recently displayed a handgun on social media.

Some witnesses reportedly believed that the weapon may have made him a target.

However, that theory has not been established as the definitive motive.

Police have not publicly confirmed that a particular social media post caused the confrontation.

Nor have they established every detail of the alleged robbery attempt.

These distinctions are important because the investigation is still developing.

A witness account may provide a useful lead, but it must be evaluated alongside other evidence.

The existence of such a lead also does not diminish the seriousness of Austin’s killing.

He was a 15-year-old whose life ended violently.

The responsibility for any criminal acts must be determined through the judicial process.

Surveillance Footage Helps Detectives Reconstruct the Night

Investigators have been working to piece together the events leading to Austin’s death.

The inquiry has involved several types of evidence.

According to WALB, detectives reviewed surveillance video from the area.

They also examined cellphone records.

Witness interviews provided additional information about the people present before the shooting.

This combination of evidence helped authorities identify suspects within several days.

By November 4, four arrests had been announced.

However, police have not made all of the evidence public.

The available reports do not establish whether investigators have recovered every weapon potentially connected to the case.

They also do not fully explain how Austin came to be inside the abandoned residence.

Those issues may be addressed as the criminal proceedings continue.

The police department has asked anyone with additional information to contact investigators.

A Birthday That Will Never Come

Austin was born on November 12, 2010.

He died on November 1, 2026.

He was just eleven days away from turning 16.

For many teenagers, a 16th birthday represents an exciting milestone.

It can bring new independence, celebrations with friends and family, and plans for the years ahead.

Austin’s family will now face that date without him.

Instead of preparing a birthday gathering, relatives are arranging his funeral.

His obituary, published by Hall & Hall Funeral Home, confirms his full name as Austin Gage Payne.

It also confirms the dates of his birth and death.

The funeral home has been entrusted with caring for the family during this difficult period.

The short obituary captures a heartbreaking reality.

Austin’s life ended before he could reach a milestone that was only days away.

His Family Seeks Help With Funeral Expenses

Following Austin’s death, relatives organized a GoFundMe campaign.

The fundraiser was established to help pay for funeral arrangements.

A family member described the pain of trying to process the sudden loss.

The campaign also noted that Austin is survived by his mother and his 17-year-old sister.

The family now faces both emotional and practical challenges.

Funeral arrangements can create significant unexpected expenses.

For families grieving a sudden loss, organizing a service while responding to questions from investigators can be overwhelming.

The fundraiser offers a way for relatives, friends and community members to provide assistance.

Hall & Hall Funeral Home has also invited contributions toward Austin’s final expenses in lieu of flowers.

For his family, those contributions may help ease some immediate burdens.

But no amount of financial support can replace the teenager they have lost.

A Community Confronts Another Young Life Lost

Austin’s death has affected the Albany community.

The case involves a 15-year-old victim and several suspects who are themselves teenagers.

Those ages have drawn attention to the consequences of violence involving young people.

Three of the four people charged are between 15 and 16 years old.

The oldest suspect is 22.

The case raises difficult questions about the circumstances that led to the confrontation and how it escalated.

However, the public evidence currently available does not provide a complete explanation.

Investigators have described a possible robbery-related encounter.

The suspects have been arrested.

But the legal process must determine their individual responsibility.

For Albany residents, the immediate concern is the loss of a teenager and the grief of his family.

Austin should have had years of school, friendships and personal milestones ahead of him.

Instead, his life ended just before his 16th birthday.

What Happens Next in the Investigation?

The Albany Police Department continues to seek information about the case.

Authorities have already made four arrests.

But several important questions remain.

Investigators must establish the precise events of the early morning hours of November 1.

They must also determine the roles allegedly played by each suspect.

The circumstances surrounding the possible robbery remain important.

Further evidence may clarify whether Austin was specifically targeted or became involved in a confrontation that escalated.

Court proceedings will provide an opportunity for prosecutors to present their case.

Defense attorneys will have the opportunity to challenge evidence and contest the allegations.

Because three suspects are minors, certain aspects of the proceedings may involve additional legal protections or rules specific to juvenile defendants.

Public reports have not established the final venue or disposition of every defendant’s case.

No conviction has been announced.

The investigation and criminal proceedings remain ongoing.

A Mother’s Search No Parent Should Experience

The story of Austin Payne has resonated because of the circumstances of his discovery.

His mother was searching for her missing son after Halloween.

She had reason to fear that something terrible had happened.

He had contacted her to say he was injured.

When he failed to come home, she followed his cellphone’s location.

The signal led her to an abandoned apartment.

There, she found the teenager she had been desperately trying to locate.

Police arrived.

Investigators began gathering evidence.

And within days, four people had been arrested.

But the arrests could not undo the family’s loss.

For Austin’s mother, the final phone call and the search that followed will remain part of a tragedy no parent should have to endure.

Eleven Days Before Sixteen

On October 31, Austin Payne was a 15-year-old with a birthday approaching.

By the morning of November 1, his family was facing the news that he had died.

On November 4, police announced four arrests.

And on November 12, the day Austin should have turned 16, his loved ones will instead be mourning him.

The most devastating part of this story is not only that a teenager lost his life, but that his mother reportedly heard from him after he had been shot — and later had to follow his phone’s location to find him.

Austin leaves behind his mother, his older sister and other loved ones.

His family is now seeking assistance with funeral expenses.

Investigators are working to establish what happened during the early morning hours after Halloween.

And four defendants face murder charges that must be resolved through the courts.

But beyond the police investigation is a young life that ended far too soon.

Austin Payne should have been celebrating his 16th birthday on November 12. Instead, his family is preparing to say goodbye.

His mother went searching because her son had not come home.

She found him.

But she could not bring him back.

Rest in peace, Austin Gage Payne.

November 12, 2010 – November 1, 2026.