Joseph Payton, 45, an African-American man, died in Milwaukee in late December 2009. Funeral notices published that month confirm his age and the city of his death and indicate family arrangements at a local funeral home.

Beyond those notices the public trail is sparse. There is no reliable online documentation of arrests or suspect identifications tied to his death.

If anyone knew Joseph Payton, has information about the circumstances of his death, or can point to contemporaneous reporting or records that fill these gaps, please share what is known.