@crimetokshorts: Part 2/4 He Was Already Behind Bars… So Who Killed the Prison Guard? | Forensic Files In May 1981, correctional officer Donna Payant disappeared from Green Haven Correctional Facility in Beekman, New York. Days later, her body was discovered in a landfill. The brutal killing shocked investigators, but one detail found during the autopsy would connect Donna’s murder to a disturbing crime from a decade earlier. In Forensic Files Season 6, Episode 24, “Pastoral Care,” investigators face a chilling question: could the killer be someone already serving time inside the very prison where Donna worked? A Prison Guard Disappears Donna Payant was a relatively new correctional officer at Green Haven. On May 15, 1981, she disappeared during her shift. Her disappearance triggered an investigation, and the discovery of her body in a landfill revealed that she had been strangled. Investigators had to determine what happened inside a secure correctional facility—and how someone could kill a guard and dispose of her body without being detected. The Forensic Clue That Changed Everything During the autopsy, medical examiners identified injuries that appeared consistent with human bite marks. The marks reminded investigators of evidence from an earlier murder involving Marilee Wilson, who had been killed in 1977. That earlier case had been linked to Lemuel Smith, a convicted killer who was now an inmate at Green Haven. The connection was disturbing. Smith had access to areas near the prison’s chaplain’s office, where investigators believed Donna may have been lured. Investigators also examined physical evidence and the circumstances surrounding her final movements inside the facility. Forensic odontologists compared the bite marks on Donna’s body with impressions of Smith’s teeth and evidence from the earlier case. Their testimony became a major part of the prosecution’s case, although the defense disputed the bite-mark identification. A Killer Hidden Inside the Prison Investigators built their case using the forensic findings, witness testimony, and circumstantial evidence connecting Smith to Donna’s disappearance. The case exposed a frightening possibility: a person considered a model inmate could still pose a deadly threat. In 1983, Smith was convicted of Donna Payant’s murder. The case became notorious for the unusual forensic clue that helped connect two separate crimes. Why “Pastoral Care” Is So Disturbing This episode highlights the role forensic pathology, bite-mark analysis, and investigative persistence played in a murder investigation inside a prison. It also raises questions about how investigators interpret forensic evidence and how much weight a jury should place on expert testimony. Watch Forensic Files Season 6, Episode 24, “Pastoral Care,” for the investigation into Donna Payant’s murder, the inmate suspected of killing her, and the forensic clue that connected the case to an earlier crime. If you enjoy true crime documentaries, serial killer investigations, prison crimes, forensic science, homicide cases, and chilling mysteries, this episode reveals how a single detail discovered during an autopsy can redirect an entire investigation. Do you think the forensic evidence was enough to identify Donna’s killer? Share your thoughts in the comments. #truecrime #truecrimetiktok #crimejunkie #crimetiktok #crimestories

Crime Shorts

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Sunday 18 October 2026 23:00:54 GMT