Melanie Payne, 51, was shot to death in the pre-dawn hours of a Tuesday in late July 2020 at a residence in Veto, Alabama, where she had been staying with friends after fleeing her hometown of Prospect, Tennessee. Payne had left Tennessee because she feared a man she knew; an incident a week before her death reportedly involved shots fired into her Tennessee home. She had been scheduled to testify against that man at a bond revocation hearing the day she was killed.

The suspect was identified as 21-year-old Samuel Quentin Hoback, also of Prospect. Hoback was reportedly seen near the Alabama residence multiple times the morning of the shooting and is believed to have fled to his parents’ home to change vehicles and clothing before returning to Alabama. Authorities arrested him later that day and charged him with murder. Methamphetamine and a .38-caliber handgun were found in his vehicle, and he also faced a probation revocation for prior theft and drug convictions.

Are there anyone who knew Melanie or who has information about her movements in late July 2020 who can help clarify what happened?