Police hunt for clues in shooting
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on November 23, 2007 2:09 PM
Police now say a man found dead Sunday in woods off Salem Church Road was killed Saturday, the night a woman reported hearing gunshots behind her home.
They now need help digging up leads to solve the murder of Joseph Antonio Payan, 33, of Selma, Investigator Dave Cloutier said.
"We're looking for anybody that saw anything suspicious between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night" in the 2100 block of Salem Church Road near Granville Drive, Cloutier said.
Any information, no matter how unimportant it might seem, is sought from witnesses, Cloutier said.
Police have interviewed "people of interest" but have not released names of suspects or announced pending charges.
Witnesses with information can call Cloutier directly at the Goldsboro Police Depart-ment at 580-4242.
Police still have not released a motive in the murder of Payan, who died of multiple gunshot wounds, the investigator said.
"There's a lot of suspicion, but nothing's been confirmed yet," Cloutier said.
Payan's body was found without any identification on him, and police were not familiar with him, Cloutier said.
Payan had Wayne County connections, with family who live in the area, the investigator said.
Granville Drive resident Angila Sutton found the body after counting eight gunshots on Saturday night, she said.
She saw a vehicle enter the woods behind her home, then saw flashlights scanning the woods before the gunfire, she said.
Mrs. Sutton said she has worried before that the wooded area behind her home was dangerous because of its secluded nature and easy highway access.
Cloutier said police would be conducting additional patrols in the area.
"It's definitely worth that," Cloutier said. "I think our patrols are pretty prevalent in that area now."
The State Bureau of Investigation and Wayne County Sheriff's office officials including Capt. Tom Effler and Detective Robert Golimowski have been working the homicide with Goldsboro police since Sunday afternoon, they said.