A mother’s desperate search for her missing teenage son ended in tragedy after she used his cellphone location to find him inside an abandoned house in Albany, Georgia. The discovery has led to murder charges against four suspects, including three teenagers and a 22-year-old man.

The victim, Austin Payne, was just 15 years old. He was found dead inside the vacant property on Cameo Lane on November 1, 2026, after failing to return home following Halloween night.

According to investigators, Payne had been shot. His mother had become increasingly concerned when she could not locate him and eventually used his cellphone location to determine where he might be.

The investigation quickly developed into a homicide case. Albany police identified four suspects and announced that all had been charged with murder.

The circumstances surrounding Payne’s final hours remain under investigation, but information released by authorities and local media suggests that an attempted robbery may have preceded the shooting.

A MOTHER’S SEARCH LEADS TO AN ABANDONED HOUSE
Austin Payne was last known to be out during Halloween night. When he failed to return home, his mother began trying to establish where he was.

Using the location information available through his cellphone, she was able to identify an area where he might be.

Her search eventually brought her to an abandoned residence in the 800 block of Cameo Lane in Albany.

Police later confirmed that Payne was discovered inside the property on November 1. Officers responding to the location found the teenager dead.

The discovery transformed what had begun as a family’s search for a missing child into a homicide investigation.

For Payne’s mother, the circumstances were especially devastating. Rather than receiving news that her son had been located safely, she was confronted with the reality that he would never return home.

Authorities have not released every detail about how the mother located the exact property or what she encountered before police arrived. However, her use of cellphone location information was an important part of the sequence that led to the discovery.

A FINAL PHONE CALL AFTER HE WAS SHOT
One of the most heartbreaking details emerged during a November 2 news conference held by Albany Police Chief Michael Persley.

Persley confirmed that Payne had contacted his mother after being shot.

“He did make a call to his mother that he had been shot,” the police chief said.

The statement raises painful questions about what happened during the teenager’s final moments and what he may have been trying to communicate to his family.

Authorities have not publicly released the full contents of the call or provided a detailed account of how much time passed between the call and the discovery of his body.

Investigators have been working to reconstruct the timeline using available evidence, including cellphone records, surveillance footage and statements from people who may have witnessed the events.

The phone call is particularly significant because it establishes that Payne was able to reach out to his mother after the shooting. It also forms part of the evidence investigators are examining as they attempt to determine exactly what happened.

FOUR SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CASE
Albany police announced that four people had been arrested and charged in connection with Payne’s death.

The suspects include:

Detravion Parker, 22
Jansquincey Donaldson, 15
Omari Marion, 15
Adarious Wallace, 16
All four were charged with murder and booked into the Dougherty County Jail, according to authorities.

The involvement of three teenage suspects has added another troubling dimension to the investigation.

Payne himself was only 15, meaning several of the people accused in connection with his death were close to his age.

Authorities have not publicly explained the precise roles investigators believe each suspect played. The charges establish the allegations against them, but the prosecution will still have to present evidence through the legal process.

Because three defendants are minors, some aspects of their court proceedings and personal information may be subject to additional confidentiality protections.

At this stage, the public information released by police does not provide a complete account of the relationships between Payne and the four accused individuals.

INVESTIGATORS EXAMINE A POSSIBLE ROBBERY
According to reporting by local television station WALB, witnesses told investigators that armed individuals approached a group of people who were walking with Payne.

The individuals allegedly demanded their belongings before opening fire.

Investigators have also examined the possibility that Payne was targeted during an attempted robbery involving a handgun he had recently displayed on social media.

That possible connection has become an important part of the developing investigation, although authorities have not publicly confirmed every detail of the alleged motive.

Police are reviewing surveillance recordings, cellphone information and witness statements to establish the sequence of events and determine what led to the shooting.

Investigators will also need to establish whether the suspects knew Payne before the incident, whether the encounter was planned and whether the shooting occurred during a robbery attempt.

Until prosecutors present their evidence, the possible robbery motive should be treated as an investigative theory rather than an established conclusion.

POLICE CHIEF CONFIRMS THE INVESTIGATION
Albany Police Chief Michael Persley addressed the case during a news conference on November 2.

His comments confirmed that Payne had contacted his mother after being shot and provided the public with an early understanding of the investigation.

Police subsequently announced the arrests of the four suspects.

The department has urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward. Investigators believe additional information from witnesses or people familiar with the events could help clarify the circumstances surrounding Payne’s death.

Authorities have asked members of the public to contact the Albany Police Department at 229-431-2100.

Information can also be provided to Crime Stoppers at 229-436-8477.

The investigation remains focused on establishing the events leading up to the shooting, the involvement of each suspect and whether any additional individuals may have information relevant to the case.

A FAMILY PREPARES TO SAY GOODBYE
As investigators worked to establish what happened, Payne’s relatives began making arrangements to honor his life.

The family launched an online fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses and support them during an extremely difficult period.

A relative described the family’s struggle to process the loss, explaining that they were trying to come to terms with the sudden death of a young person whose future had been taken away.

Payne would have celebrated his 16th birthday on November 12, just days after his body was discovered.

He is survived by his mother and his 17-year-old sister.

The approaching birthday has made the loss even more painful for relatives. Instead of preparing to celebrate another year of his life, they are now facing the difficult task of arranging his funeral.

The fundraiser also reflects the family’s need for support as they deal with the emotional and financial consequences of the tragedy.

QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN UNANSWERED
Although four people have been charged, several important questions remain.

Investigators have not publicly provided a complete timeline of the events leading to the shooting. The exact circumstances of the encounter, the reason the group approached Payne and the individual actions of each suspect still need to be established through the legal process.

The possible robbery motive is another important issue. Investigators are examining reports that the incident involved demands for personal belongings, as well as information concerning a handgun Payne had reportedly displayed online.

Authorities have not released enough information to establish whether the weapon was directly connected to the encounter or whether it played a role in the events leading to the shooting.

The circumstances surrounding the abandoned property also remain part of the investigation. Police have not publicly explained why Payne was inside the residence or how long he had been there before his mother located him.

The most significant unanswered question may be what happened between the moment Payne was shot and the time his mother found him.

His phone call to her confirms that he was able to reach out after the shooting, but investigators have not released a full account of those final communications.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The four suspects now face the criminal justice process in Georgia.

Prosecutors will be required to present evidence supporting the murder charges and establish the alleged involvement of each defendant. Investigators may continue gathering surveillance recordings, cellphone records, forensic evidence and witness testimony.

The cases involving the three teenage defendants may proceed under different rules from the prosecution of the 22-year-old suspect, depending on the applicable juvenile court procedures and any decisions concerning jurisdiction.

Police have not announced whether additional charges will be filed or whether investigators are looking for other individuals connected to the incident.

For Austin Payne’s family, however, the legal process comes after an unimaginable loss.

His mother began searching for a son who had not returned home after Halloween. By using his cellphone location, she found the place where he had been left.

Now, as four suspects face murder charges, investigators are working to answer the questions surrounding the teenager’s final hours.

Payne would have turned 16 on November 12. Instead, his family is preparing to say goodbye while waiting for the full circumstances of his death to emerge in court.