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The murders of Nichole Payne and her son, Austin Taylor Wages, in December 2007 took to the headlines in the newspapers of Quitman. Initially considered a murder-suicide, the case raised suspicions when the murder weapon was found without fingerprints and Nichole had extensive head trauma. Investigations soon pointed to her husband, Jason Payne, uncovering a more sinister plot behind the double murders.
The Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode titled House of Horrors showcases the murder of Nichole Payne and her son, Austin Taylor Wages. Episode 2 of season 13 airs on Oxygen on June 12, 2024, at 8 p.m. EST. The official synopsis reads,
"When Nichole Payne and her son Taylor are found dead in their home, investigators wonder if this is a murder-suicide or if someone wants it to look that way. The mystery takes nearly a decade to unravel."
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Who were Nichole Payne and Austin Taylor Wages?
Nichole Hawthorne Payne was born on October 1, 1972, in Columbus, Lowndes County to parents Richard T. and Sherry Hawthorne. Payne grew up in Mississippi where she tended to doves since childhood. As she turned older, she began her business of a small dove release called Wings of Love and managed it.
As testified by Nichole's friend, Andrea Scott, Nichole reportedly married Jason Thad Payne within two weeks or less of getting to know him. The two shared a troublesome relationship and Nichole reportedly had to hide her private conversations from Jason. She spoke to her friends and family from the bathroom or the closet, per court documents.
Nichole and Jason Payne shared the former's sons, Austin Taylor Wages and Danny Ashworth. The couple also shared two of their own children - Riley and Joseph.
Austin Taylor Wages was born on June 12, 1991, in Nacogdoches County, Texas to parents Nichole and Todd Wages. He studied at Quitman High School where he was described to be a sweet young man who was always polite, respectful, and courteous. He was a good student who hoped to attend college someday.
What happened to Nichole Payne and Austin Taylor Wages?
The new Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode showcases the double murders of Nichole Payne and Austin Taylor Wages. The Wood County Sheriff's Department received a call around 9:09 a.m. local time from Jason Thad Payne notifying the officers about his wife and stepson's deaths.
The court documents mentioned that the first responders arrived at the scene to find Nichole dead in the downstairs bedroom while Austin was found in the garage space turned bedroom. Nichole reportedly had extensive damage to the back of her head while Austin had a gunshot wound on the side of his mouth.
Austin's cold body had gone into rigor mortis which indicated that he was killed before Nichole who was found to be rather warm. The investigators also noticed the strong smell of gunpowder in parts of the house. Furthermore, an alleged murder weapon was recovered close to Austin's body but the .30-.30 rifle came with no fingerprints for DNA analysis.
Nichole Payne's death was ruled to be homicide while Austin Taylor Wages' cause of death was declared to be undetermined.
Watch all the details on the episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered which airs on Oxygen on Wednesday.
