A Birthday In Heaven

Five years ago today, Ariana Socorro "NaNa" Payne was born. For those who have been following Ariana's case, you know that Ariana is not with us in the physical sense to celebrate. If you haven't been following the case, you can find several past posts about both Ariana and her older brother, Tyler here.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask everyone to take a moment of silence in honor of Ariana, Tyler, and every other child that has lost their lives- whether it's from abuse, accident, or disease. Thank you.

I can imagine that Ariana is in heaven, coloring and watching Scooby Doo movies with Tyler! God Bless You, and Happy Birthday, little angel!

Taegen's Law Rally

Saturday, September 15th was a hot day in Sahuarita, Arizona with the temperatures soaring to the 100 degree mark before noon. But the heat was overshadowed by the mission at hand--getting signatures for Taegen's Law.

I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in the rally, and it is truly an experience I will never forget. The people I met there, my new friends, were just all incredible people.

I arrived shortly after 9:00 A.M. to help my friend, Chrissi, and her husband, P.J. set up for the rally, which was held at the Walmart in Sahuarita. The staff at Walmart were very supportive, helping to set up tables and umbrellas, to help shade at least some of the sun's searing rays. We were soon met by Jamie Hallam, mother of Ariana and Tyler Payne, and her best friend, Tara, as well as her father, Richard. I had previously only met Jamie briefly, at the memorial service for Ariana and Tyler, so it was nice to be able to speak with her and meet Tara and Richard.

Everyone who participated, some of them whose names I can't recall, were really working hard. It really was a team effort. Considering the size of Sahuarita, a town about 20 miles south of the southside of Tucson, the results were incredible. We were able to get over 500 signatures in just a couple hours.

The efforts obviously would not have paid off if it wasn't for the people that signed the petition. Their support and willingness to listen and sign was exhilarating. They came that day to shop for what ever needs they had, and left hopefully making a difference in a child's life. The majority of people we were able to come in contact with were more than happy to sign. It's a great mark for humanity.

I posted a few pictures from the rally on my Myspace, if anyone is interested in seeing them.

Remembering Ariana and Tyler Payne - Part Two

For those that have been following my blog entries about the Ariana and Tyler Payne case, I would like to take the time to give you links to their online obituaries so that you can express your condolences, if you wish. As stated in my previous entry on this case, the memorial service will take place this Saturday, August 25th.



Ariana Payne



Ariana's Obituary



Tyler PayneTyler's Obituary

Remembering Ariana and Tyler Payne

The release of the remains of Ariana Payne by the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office has put her mother in a difficult situation. The body of her son and Ariana's brother, Tyler, have yet to be found. Therefore, sadly, she must bury her young daughter, and have a memorial service, without Tyler.

The memorial service will be for both Ariana and Tyler. It will take place this Saturday,

Justice For Ariana and Tyler Payne?

Ariana and Tyler Payne (photo courtesy of Jamie Hallam)






Note from the blog author: This is my 50th blog entry to date. To commemorate the occasion, I am writing this entry about a case that I am very passionate about and is very close to my heart.



On January 20, 2006, Jamie Hallam sent her children, Ariana and Tyler to visit with their father, Christopher Payne. Although they had

Updates

I have several updates on several different cases that I have been blogging about.

The Ariana and Tyler Payne Case

The autopsy report regarding the death of Ariana Payne showed injuries that happened before her death. A broken shoulder, several broken ribs, and a fractured vertebrae. More details about how Christopher Payne gained access to the storage locker where Ariana's body was found and

11 Days

When Reina Gonzales, alleged child abuser in connection with the Ariana and Tyler Payne case, was released from jail on April 20th, she had to meet several conditions or face going back to jail. One of those conditions was that she had to meet with a Pretrial Services officer every Friday. Gonzales' attorney argued that she was not a flight risk and had long standing ties to the Tucson area. So,

A New Search

The Tucson Police Department is once again searching the Los Reales Landfill for the remains of five-year-old Tyler Payne. The new search is based on a tip they received that he was put in a dumpster at the U-Store-It storage facility, where his sister Ariana Payne was found decomposing in a plastic tub in one of the units.

I am praying that they are able to find Tyler so that his family can

The Payne(ful) truth

Sometimes what you hope for and what you really feel with your heart treads a very thin line. The case of Ariana and Tyler Payne, is a perfect example. I've said before that as much as I hope Tyler Payne is found alive and safe, I know deep down it's very unlikely. Apparently, a Pima County grand jury felt the same. Christopher Payne was indicted yesterday by the grand jury on 2 counts of first

Reina Terror

REINA GONZALES












Meet Reina Gonzales. Reina was arrested in connection with the death of Ariana Payne, daughter of Christopher Payne, the sludge that allegedly killed her and put her in a tub, then locked her dead body in a storage locker. Reina is the girlfriend of Christopher Payne and also shares a son with him. It seems Reina was in a position to get help for Ariana and did nothing.

Little girl Identified; Brother still missing

It has been a tumultuous two weeks thinking about the case of the little girl found in the storage locker here in Tucson. Although there are still many unanswered questions in this case, one thing is almost clear. The child, the precious little girl found dead in that locker-was Christopher Payne's daughter, 4 year-old Ariana Payne. I say "almost clear" because they are still awaiting positive

Updating: "Skeletons in your storage unit."

Christopher Matthew Payne




This is an update to my previous blog entitled "Skeletons in your storage unit." An arrest has been made in this case.

"Tucson police arrested Christopher Matthew Payne,
28, in connection with the case and booked him into Pima County jail on one count of first-degree murder and one count of child abuse."

There is still very little information being released

Skeletons in your storage unit.

I was originally going to work on another story, but this one intrigued me so much that I had to blog about it.
Many people use storage units to store things for a variety of reasons. The last thing you would expect to find after a renter fails to make payments on the storage unit, is the remains of a toddler. This is exactly what the manager at the "U-Store-It" storage facility found in one of