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An El Paso man accused in a brutally horrific assault that critically wounded his ex-wife, whom he allegedly believed was an “evil witch,” sobbed and wiped away tears at a jail bond listening to over the weekend.
Marcus Anthony Payne, 40, a U.S. Military fight veteran scuffling with psychological well being issues, is being held on a cost of aggravated assault with a lethal weapon on a $150,000 bond on the El Paso County Jail in Downtown.
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The extraordinarily violent episode final Thursday, Aug. 22 — described by Justice of the Peace Choose Ruben Nuñez as “horrific” — was recounted in a felony criticism and a teleconference bond listening to for Payne on Sunday.
Payne is accused of brutalizing his ex-wife, who went knocking on neighbors’ doorways in search of assist after escaping from his dwelling on Tierra Mision Drive, the place she had been locked in a canine kennel whereas bleeding closely from bladed blows to her head and having a finger severed, the criticism acknowledged.
“The defendant (Payne) made a press release that he thought he was combating with a witch. So, he may need been beneath some sort of delusion on the time of the alleged offense,” Nuñez stated on the listening to.
The listening to, which takes place 48-hours after an individual is jailed to find out whether or not a bond quantity ought to be lowered or stored the identical, was finally reset for Friday after the decide ordered that Payne endure a psychological well being analysis.
The sufferer was recognized as Jennifer Lynn Lambert on the listening to.
“Jennifer is a loving and devoted veteran. She has all the time been sturdy and impartial however this tragic occasion has turned her world the other way up,” her brother, Travis Lambert, posted on a GoFundMe page. Lambert’s household is from San Antonio and is in search of donations to assist with medical, journey and different associated bills.
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Throughout the listening to, Payne’s voice cracked with emotion as he sobbed and wiped away tears whereas answering questions from public protection lawyer A. Marcelo Rivera.
Payne stated he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Military after serving within the navy from 2005 to 2013, together with two fight excursions in Iraq and in South Korea “throughout the missile scare.” “I did my time honorably,” he stated.
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Payne, who sported an extended goatee beard and wore an orange-and-white striped jail jumpsuit, stated in a voice breaking with emotion that he did not have a job and had been recognized with schizophrenia, a severe mind dysfunction that may embrace delusions and hallucinations.
Payne advised the court docket that he lives alone together with his two canines at a house within the 3300 block of Tierra Mision Drive, close to Sgt. Roberto Ituarte Elementary College within the Eastview part of the far East Aspect. His ex-wife is “not speculated to be at that home,” he commented.
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Payne talked about he attended DWI court docket. Information present Payne is on probation after pleading responsible to a felony cost of driving whereas intoxicated third time or extra on Oct. 28, 2020 in one hundred and twentieth District Courtroom.
Choose Maria Salas-Mendoza issued a six-year suspended jail sentence with six years of probation, a $1,000 high-quality and 300 hours of neighborhood service, in accordance with court docket information.
On the listening to, Payne stated, “Choose Salas-Mendoza granted me permission to make use of cannabis, marijuana products as an alternative of the slew of medicines that I used to be on on the VA (Veterans Affairs Division) as a result of they have been shutting my organs down and killing me. Choose Salas-Mendoza is the one who accredited that.”
Justice of the Peace Choose Nuñez responded to him, “All proper, I’ll focus on that with Choose Salas-Mendoza, that appears very uncommon and extremely unlikely.”
Salas-Mendoza didn’t reply to a chance for remark made to her workplace. Judges do not usually focus on circumstances of their courts.
El Paso police present up, resolve to depart
On Aug. 22, a while previous to the assault, El Paso police have been dispatched to a name of gunshots fired on Tierra Mision Drive, the criticism affidavit acknowledged.
A caller reported listening to 5 to 6 gunshots and that Payne was at their entrance door rambling. When officers arrived, they noticed Payne yelling and throwing objects earlier than he ran again into his dwelling, the affidavit acknowledged.
Officers spoke with Payne’s mom over the telephone and discovered that he had psychological well being points and that the presence of the police would solely worsen him additional, the affidavit acknowledged.
Payne’s mom notified his ex-wife, who confirmed up and was capable of calm him down, although he refused to step outdoors the home to satisfy with officers, the affidavit acknowledged. The ex-wife stayed with him.
“Because of the circumstances, the choice was made to interrupt down the perimeter and depart the Defendant (Payne) inside his residence,” the police affidavit acknowledged.
Bleeding girl knocks on neighbors’ doorways for assist
It was about 6:13 a.m. when a number of neighbors known as 911 to report a disturbance and yelling. One neighbor reported that he might see via his doorbell digicam, a lady bleeding and banging on his door, the affidavit acknowledged.
Paramedics arrived and rushed Payne’s ex-wife to a hospital, the place she was intubated and underwent emergency medical procedures, Assistant District Lawyer Kevin Marcantel stated on the bond listening to. Her present situation has not been disclosed.
The affidavit acknowledged that the girl had about six lacerations to her head, a damaged cranium with uncovered mind matter and a number of defensive wounds to her arms and arms. Her left-hand center finger was lacking and appeared to have been minimize off.
“The blood path goes from his (Payne’s) dwelling to a number of neighbors. It appears to be like like she will need to have been going to attempt to get assist,” Marcantel stated.
The primary two law enforcement officials arrived to search out Payne standing within the entrance yard with a pitbull. He was given instructions to cease, complied and was taken into custody with out incident, the affidavit acknowledged.
Bloody home scene on Tierra Mision Drive
After being detained, Payne advised officers that he was combating with a “witch” and that he was capable of trick her into getting right into a “cage,” the affidavit acknowledged.
Officers did a security sweep of the house on the lookout for any extra victims and located blood all through the within of the residence together with a small axe with blood on it on prime of a mattress, a machete, a handgun, unfired bullets and spent casings, the affidavit acknowledged.
The investigation was taken over by detectives with the Crimes Towards Individuals Unit, who obtained a search warrant to look the house additional.
Investigators discovered a portion of the girl’s finger that had been severed and a path of blood all through the home together with clusters of hair. A canine kennel with a big pool of blood allegedly corroborated Payne’s feedback about putting a “witch” in a cage by putting somebody contained in the kennel, the affidavit acknowledged.
El Paso man claims he battled ‘evil witch’ in dream
When interviewed at El Paso police headquarters, Payne advised detectives that he didn’t bear in mind what had occurred that night time, however recalled having a dream the place he was combating an “evil witch.” He dreamed he landed a number of blows with two swords he used to struggle the witch, the affidavit acknowledged.
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Payne advised detectives that he had a machete and an axe inside his home. The sandals that Payne was sporting belonged to his ex-wife, who he believed was at his home earlier.
When requested by detectives if Payne believed that the “witch” he was combating was truly his ex-wife, Payne allegedly acknowledged that it will need to have been, in accordance with the affidavit.
This text initially appeared on El Paso Occasions: ‘Evil witch,’ mental illness and horror at a home in far East El Paso
