CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — According to the Clayton County District Attorney's office, Hannah Payne, the woman accused in the 2019 murder of 62-year-old Kenneth Herring, will be expected in court for her trial next Monday.
Payne was indicted for malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
On May 7, 2019, Herring ran a red light and crashed into a semi-truck on Clark Howell Highway near Interstate-285. Police said no one was hurt in the initial hit-and-run accident, but that Payne was a witness to the incident.
In testimonies from detectives from 2019, Herring stayed on the scene for 20 minutes, but then tried to leave because of an apparent medical emergency.
Detectives said that witnesses described the emergency as "like diabetic shock."
Payne followed him about a mile away from the original scene to confront the victim in an apparent "citizen's arrest gone wrong," according to testimony. Witnesses told Clayton County Police detectives that Payne got out her car and demanded he return to the accident scene, according to police reports.
Payne allegedly shot Herring several times as he sat in the driver’s seat of his car, killing him.
Payne's case was delayed a few years ago for several reasons including COVID-19 concerns, according to court documents.
The office said Payne's trial will start with jury selection. The trial is expected to last about two weeks, according to the district attorney.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the location of the initial accident and the victim's age.