Ta'haley Payton

📍 Location

📝 Description

Ta’Haley Payton, a 22-year-old mother from Greenville/Simpsonville, South Carolina, disappeared on November 20, 2024 while on a birthday trip to Charlotte with her boyfriend. She was last seen in the 700 block of Charlottetown Avenue in Charlotte, wearing a brown fuzzy full-zip jacket, light blue t-shirt, and light gray sweatpants, and reportedly asked a Crumbl Cookies employee to use a phone after an argument with her boyfriend, who drove back to South Carolina leaving her in Charlotte. Her body was found on December 9, 2024 in Midtown Charlotte near Pearl Street Park/Little Sugar Creek, and the case was opened as a death investigation. In March 2025, the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner ruled her death as accidental hypothermia, with non-lethal levels of bromazolam and isopropanol detected in her system. Family members have questioned the autopsy findings and the ongoing investigation. The case is treated as a death investigation with subsequent autopsy findings and ongoing inquiries by relatives.

🔍 Circumstances

Disappeared after a birthday trip to Charlotte with her boyfriend following an argument; boyfriend returned to South Carolina leaving Payton in Charlotte. Last seen on Charlottetown Avenue (700 block). She reportedly sought help using a store employee’s phone. Her body was found weeks later in Midtown Charlotte near Pearl Street Park/Little Sugar Creek. Autopsy later determined death by hypothermia (accidental), with bromazolam and isopropanol detected at non-lethal levels.

👤 Physical Description

Black female, age 22, height 5'6", weight 140 lbs. Hair: black twists. Eyes: brown.

ℹ️ Additional Details

Body found near Baxter Street/Pearl Street Park in Midtown Charlotte; death ruled accidental hypothermia by Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner; no evidence of acute injury reported; boyfriend involved in the initial disappearance but details and investigation ongoing as of the latest reports.

🔗 Sources (10)

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