Wichita man found ‘lying face down in the middle of the street’ is a murder suspect

Wichita police say a man found lying in a busy street early Wednesday morning is now a murder suspect.

Police were called at around 5:40 a.m. to a welfare check at 13th and Oliver, where a man was reported to be “lying face down in the middle of the street at the intersection,” Officer Charley Davidson said in a news release. The man needed medical attention, and he was taken to a hospital, treated and released.

Then he was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder. He was identified as 39-year-old Jason Payne, of Wichita.

Davidson said investigators connected Payne to a criminal homicide at a home in the 900 block of North Oliver. Detectives found out that a male individual had been injured there, and responding officers found a body at the home. The person, who was pronounced dead at the scene, is believed by police to be a family member of Payne.

“The investigation revealed a physical disturbance occurred at the home, and investigators are still working to learn additional details of what occurred,” Davidson said.

Police did not release additional information on the circumstances of the case, the injuries sustained by the victim or why the suspect needed medical attention.

Police ask anyone with information on the case to call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 5:14 PM.