On March 7, 1983, nine-year-old Erika Payne and her 32-year-old mother, Laurel Wilson, were found dead in Wilson’s South Salem home. Both were on a blood-soaked bed in Wilson’s bedroom, each having suffered multiple gunshot wounds from a handgun. The scene was first discovered by Erika’s older sister, Jennifer Payne, then 14.

Investigators concluded the shooter was likely someone known to the victims and probably invited into the house, but that lead did not produce a suspect. No weapon, bullets, or shell casings were recovered at the scene; detectives later determined the handgun used was a Rossi. In the weeks before the killings, Laurel had reported being harassed by an acquaintance who left notes at her home and on her car; that person was questioned and ultimately ruled out. Erika’s father and Laurel’s ex-husband, David Payne, provided that information to police.

Decades later the double homicide remains unsolved and no arrests have been announced. Did anyone in the Salem area know the family, the acquaintance who left notes, or have information that could help reopen this case?