Clifton Tyler, 38, was found fatally shot inside his upstairs apartment on Wagener Road in Wagener, South Carolina, in the early morning hours of October 2, 2021. Deputies with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office responded after reports of gunfire; witnesses said they heard shots and saw a dark-colored SUV speed away from the residence shortly afterward.

Authorities identified a primary suspect within weeks. On October 14, 2021, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office announced they were seeking 29-year-old Robert Gene Payne II on charges of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Investigators also arrested 28-year-old Taveisha Danike Porter on a charge of accessory after the fact in connection with the case. Payne was later located and arrested in Jacksonville, Florida, on January 7, 2022, and held in Duval County Jail pending extradition to Aiken County.

If anyone knew Clifton Tyler or has information about the shooting or the dark-colored SUV seen leaving the scene, please come forward with what you know.