Homicide victim’s dad killed in LR spat over $10
Posted on Monday, May 7, 2007
The father of a 32-year-old Little Rock man who was killed Feb. 21 was himself shot to death early Sunday following an argument over $ 10, police said.
Eli Payne II, 57, of 5224 Maryland St. was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at a Little Rock hospital. Police said Payne was shot in the side shortly after midnight Saturday.
Detectives arrested a 62-yearold homeless man Sunday morning on a first-degree murder charge. David Lee McClendon, who is known on the street as “Uncle Dave,” called police after hearing neighborhood gossip that police were wanting to question him about Payne’s slaying.
“He called detectives and said: ‘I hear you’re looking for me,’ and they went out and brought him in,” said police spokesman Michelle Hill.
Police said Payne’s slaying was not related to his son’s killing. On Feb. 21, Elie Payne III was shot in front of a house on West 10 th Street. Police arrested Genre “Money Ray” Page on a capital murder charge in the younger Payne’s slaying.
“We don’t have any information that these two cases were related,” Hill said. “It was just a tragic coincidence.” The younger Payne was Little Rock’s second homicide victim of 2007. His father was the city’s 13 th slaying of the year.
Early Sunday, officers were dispatched to 816 S. Adams St., where they found Payne lying on the porch of the house. Alice Dunning, 56, who lives there, told officers that she and Payne were talking on the porch when “Uncle Dave” walked up and the two men began arguing.
A few moments later, Dunning heard a shot and came out to find Payne lying on the porch and the suspect walking down the street. She told officers that Payne and McClendon had gotten into an argument earlier Saturday evening.
“This happened at the Family Dollar on 12 th Street and it was over [$ 10 ],” according to a police report of the slaying.
Police did not release further details about the earlier confrontation.
“It was an altercation over a small amount of money,” Hill said. “That makes this absolutely ridiculous.” After the shooting, officers working the Operation Quiet Nights effort flooded the neighborhood talking to neighbors. Hill said the effort paid off with a suspect.
“We saturated the area last night and let the neighbors know who we were looking for,” she said. “Apparently, the word got back to this gentleman and he turned himself in.” Shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday, McClendon called police and talked to a detective. He was arrested in the 4400 block of West 12 th Street, about three blocks from the scene of the shooting.
Payne’s son was shot and killed Feb. 21 in front of the residence at 3317 W. 10 th St., police said. He was working on a car when a white Oldsmobile pulled up and the driver, identified by a neighbor as “Money Ray,” fired a single shot and drove away.
Detectives later learned that “Money Ray” was an alias for Genre Page. According to an affidavit filed for Page’s arrest, a witness told officers she was on her porch when she saw the Oldsmobile approach. She told police that the driver was “Money Ray.” Police said the fatal shot was fired through the Oldsmobile’s passenger window, which wasn’t rolled down at the time of the shooting.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
