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Debbie Gama's murder case shook the little town of Erie, Pennsylvania. The 16-year-old girl's body was discovered floating in the Cussewago Creek in Crawford County in 1975. Decades later, ID's Dead Days of Summer is ready to take a closer look into the old case involving the young girl and her high school English teacher, Raymond Payne, who was the unusual suspect in the case.
In 1976, almost a year after the teenager died, authorities narrowed down on Raymond Payne and arrested him. He confessed to the crime but claimed that it was an accident. He was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. There are still many facts that surround the case and continue to baffle investigators around the world.
Ahead of the upcoming episode of Dead Days of Summer, titled Twisted Lessons, here are five interesting facts from Debbie Gama's murder that may intrigue true-crime fans.
Five quick facts about Debbie Gama's death
1) Raymond Payne was one of Debbie Gama's favorite teachers in school
The well-respected and reputed English teacher, Raymond Payne, was also one of Debbie's favorite teachers. Authorities determined that Debbie had been intoxicated with pills and assaulted before her death. Perhaps Payne's proximity to the 16-year-old was a primary reason for him being able to intoxicate her before assaulting and killing her.
2) A private investigator was the major reason behind Payne's arrest
While looking for suspects in Debbie's murder, the police hit a dead end and struggled to figure out a concrete lead. Debbie's mother, frustrated with the lack of results, hired a private investigator. This private investigator was the first to establish a connection between Debbie Gama and Raymond Payne.
The police followed this lead and ultimately discovered that Raymond was the culprit.
3) Raymond Payne claimed that Debbie's death was an accident
Raymond Payne claimed that he had tied Debbie up with her consent and that her death was an unfortunate accident. He also claimed that he did not assault Debbie. Though it was later proven with DNA testing that Raymond did not assault Debbie, authorities believe he killed her on purpose.
He also claimed that he had initially dumped her body in a pond at his farm and later moved it to the creek.
4) The mother and sister forgave Raymond D. Payne during his retrial in 2020
In 1977, Debbie Gama's mother and sister said they had forgiven Raymond for the heinous crime but claimed they were happy that he was going back to prison. Myshelle Will, Debbie's sister, said:
"That is where he needs to be,...Forgiveness is not saying it is OK for what he did, or to let him out. To forgive means for us to be at peace, not to have hatred in our hearts."
Payne was 83 years old when he was resentenced.
5) Raymond Payne died of COVID-19 in 2020
Shortly after his retrial, Raymond Payne died of COVID-19 in state prison. The cause of his death, as announced by the coroner's office, was cardiorespiratory arrest due to pneumonia and COVID-19. He had been in prison since 1977.
Dead Days of Summer will cover the case in detail when it airs on August 11, 2022. Stay tuned for more updates.
