X
Business

Couple unfriends woman on Facebook, father murders them

A father has murdered a couple after they unfriended his daughter on Facebook. The father and mother were both shot in the head, but their baby boy was left unharmed in his mother's arms.
Written by Emil Protalinski, Contributor

36-year-old Billy Payne Jr. and his girlfriend, 23-year-old Billie Jean Hayworth, recently unfriended 30-year-old Jenelle Potter on Facebook. Jenelle was upset, but not as much as her 60-year-old father, Marvin "Buddy" Potter (pictured right). He was so angry when he learned about the unfriending that he and 38-year-old Jamie Lynn Curd (pictured left), who reportedly had romantic feelings for Jenelle, went out and murdered Payne and Hayworth last week. The couple is survived by an eight-month-old baby boy, who was found unharmed, in Hayworth's arms.

The couple was shot in their home last Tuesday morning. The victims lived with Billy Payne Sr., who was the last person to see them alive; he reportedly saw Hayworth get up to feed the baby before he left for work at about 5:30 AM on January 31, 2012.

About five hours later, when a former neighbor stopped by to pick up mail the family would save for him, Payne was found dead in his bedroom and Hayworth was found dead in the baby's room. Both victims were shot in the head.

Both men have been charged in the shooting of the couple, authorities said today, according to NYDailyNews. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Johnson County Sheriff's Office charged them with two counts of first-degree murder, after a week-long investigation. Neither of the two men had a criminal record, but both had a history with the victims.

There were several harassing comments made on Facebook just before the couple was found dead. In the weeks leading up to the murder, Potter, who is also Payne's cousin, had two separate verbal confrontations. Last year, Payne and Hayworth complained to police that Jenelle was harassing them via telephone and over the Internet after they unfriended her on Facebook. Curd, who is Payne's second cousin, defended Jenelle in court in regards to the accusations.

Curd and Potter were arrested on a $200,000 bond each. Curd's initial bond was raised to $1.5 million while Potter's bond hearing has been delayed until next week, when he is expected to have an attorney. The duo is scheduled to appear in court on March 7.

See also:

Editorial standards