A 40-year-old El Paso man, Marcus Anthony Payne, was taken into custody on Thursday, August 22, and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly inflicting severe injuries on his ex-wife, whom he claimed was an “evil witch,” as stated in court documents.
The incident began early Thursday morning when police responded to a shots fired call at 3348 Tierra Mision. The caller reported hearing five to six shots and seeing Payne at the front door, rambling incoherently. Upon arrival, officers observed Payne yelling and throwing objects before retreating into his house.
Police spoke with Payne’s mother by phone, who informed them of her son’s ongoing mental health issues and warned that the officers’ presence would likely escalate the situation. Payne’s ex-wife was notified and arrived at the scene, where she was able to calm him down. However, Payne refused to exit the house, prompting police to temporarily disband their perimeter.
Later that morning, multiple calls were made regarding a welfare check, with witnesses reporting yelling and a woman bleeding and banging on a neighbor’s door. Fire-medical crews responded and transported the victim to a local hospital.
When police reapproached the house, they found Payne standing in the front yard with a pitbull dog. He complied with verbal commands and was detained without incident. Payne told officers he had been battling a “witch” and had successfully trapped her in a “cage.”
A search of the house revealed suspected blood throughout, as well as a machete, small axe, handgun, unfired bullets, and spent casings. Blood was also found in an SUV parked in the driveway and a blood trail leading from the house across the street.
Crime Against Person’s investigators took over the case and discovered that Payne’s ex-wife had suffered severe injuries, including six lacerations to her head, a broken skull with exposed brain matter, and multiple defensive wounds on her arms and hands. A portion of her left-hand middle finger was also missing, apparently cut off.
A search warrant was obtained, and investigators found a firearm, machete, and small axe with suspected blood on them in the living area. A dog kennel with a large amount of blood was also discovered, corroborating Payne’s claims of trapping someone in a “cage.” A severed finger, consistent with the ex-wife’s injury, was also found.
When questioned, Payne claimed he had no recollection of the events but remembered a dream in which he fought an “evil witch” using two swords. He admitted to owning a machete and axe and stated that the sandals he was wearing belonged to his ex-wife, leading him to believe she had been at his house earlier.
Payne was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to court documents.
