Aree Hunt was a 6-year-old African American boy who was murdered on July 14, 1989, in East St. Louis, Illinois. Fingerprints at the scene were matched to Fayne, and he was charged with first-degree murder and convicted by a jury.

The jury found Fayne eligible for the death penalty but ultimately recommended a sentence of natural life in prison. His defense raised insanity, citing a troubled upbringing and psychological trauma; a psychiatrist testified Fayne’s personality was abnormal but did not meet Illinois legal criteria for mental illness. The case involved other murders attributed to Fayne and separate trials for those crimes.