Carole Payne was 60 when she died after an intentionally set fire at her Cincinnati apartment complex. On April 7, 2000, someone started a fire in the hallway outside her unit at 1968 Westwood Northern Boulevard; the blaze spread into her apartment. Carole succumbed to her injuries the next day, on April 8, 2000. The Cincinnati Police Department has classified the death as a homicide.

Investigators from local police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation have kept the case open but the person who started the fire has not been identified. The family and authorities continue to seek information that could lead to an arrest and conviction.

If anyone has information about that hallway fire or noticed suspicious activity near 1968 Westwood Northern Boulevard in early April 2000, please contact the Cincinnati Police Department.