New mom found dead almost a month after she went missing during birthday trip
12/19/2024 4:33 pm PST
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TCN) -- A 22-year-old woman was found dead several weeks after she went missing during a birthday trip with her boyfriend after allegedly claiming she did not feel safe.
Ta'Haley Payton’s family reported her missing to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on Nov. 28. She was reportedly last seen Nov. 20 and her loved ones became concerned. According to WHNS-TV, Payton and her boyfriend, the father of their 6-month-old daughter, traveled from Greenville, South Carolina, to Charlotte for Payton’s birthday. On Nov. 20, Payton’s boyfriend reportedly called her mother and said he was coming back from Charlotte.
The same day, Payton reportedly contacted her mother and said she did not feel safe. She said she was going to walk to a nearby Burger King, and her mother told her to call an Uber or Lyft. WHNS reports Payton later told her family a friend was picking her up, but that did not happen.
WBTV-TV reports Payton and her boyfriend got into an argument, and he allegedly kicked her out of the car. After that, he reportedly returned to South Carolina without Payton. During the birthday trip, Payton reportedly went to the hospital for postpartum depression.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police announced Payton’s body was found Dec. 9 on the 1100 block of Baxter Street. They did not say if they were investigating her death as a homicide or if foul play was involved.
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