Nearly nine years after the crime, a Walker County jury has convicted Marshall Payne of malice murder and felony murder in the 2016 shooting death of Donald Edward Fickey Jr. – bringing closure to a case that investigators originally believed was a suicide.
Case turned from suicide to murder
On October 3, 2016, Payne called 911 three times, initially telling dispatchers that Fickey had taken his own life. He claimed the shotgun discharged accidentally as he tried to take it away from the victim.
Responding officers treated the death as a suicide at first, citing Payne’s account, a chaotic crime scene, and a near-contact shotgun wound that appeared consistent with self-infliction.
But that narrative began to change as investigators collected conflicting witness statements. Fickey’s wife, Brandy Heath, told police from the very beginning that she witnessed Payne intentionally shoot her husband.
Additional testimony revealed the shooting occurred at what investigators described as a drug-fueled compound, where Payne and Fickey had argued repeatedly. Police also said bruising and bite marks on the victim were attributed to Payne.
Investigators said Payne was reportedly in a sexual relationship with Fickey’s wife, which may have fueled the tension leading to the killing.
Case reopened
The case shifted dramatically in 2023, when a medical examiner changed her original findings, prompting the Walker County District Attorney’s Office to reopen the investigation and charge Payne with murder.
After a week-long trial that began on November 17, 2025, the jury deliberated less than an hour before finding Payne guilty on both counts.
District Attorney Clayton M. Fuller, who prosecuted the case, praised jurors for delivering justice after years of uncertainty.
“This verdict brings final resolution to a long-pending homicide,” Fuller said following sentencing.
Guilty verdict
Payne was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole immediately after the verdict.
