On December 20, 2024, 57-year-old Jane Payton was found dead in her home on Lucy Street in Masury, Ohio, with a gunshot wound to the chest after she had called police to report her 57-year-old ex-boyfriend, Andrew Reedy, was trying to force his way back into the residence. Officers arriving at about 9:52 a.m. found the house locked and got no response; after calling Reedy and doubting his account that he had left to retrieve a personal item and that Payton had also gone out, they forced entry and discovered Payton deceased.

While securing the scene, officers heard a gunshot from the second floor, retreated and called for backup. A nearly 24-hour standoff followed involving multiple agencies, including the Mahoning Valley Crisis Response Team and the FBI. Negotiators learned Reedy had suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face; he surrendered at about 7:20 a.m. on December 21, 2024, and was taken to a hospital. Reedy has been charged with first-degree murder; court records cited probation violations after an OVI in November 2023 and warrants for missed court appearances.

Payton’s family remembers her as hardworking and independent, a mother and grandmother who held multiple jobs to support her children; an online memorial has been created and the community continues to mourn. If anyone has information relevant to this homicide, please contact investigators.