Sentence Reduced for Tennessee Inmate Pervis Payne

Pervis Payne, Tennessee

Updated: November 19, 2021

Pervis has been removed from death and will instead serve two consecutive life sentences. Since his initial conviction, laws regarding mental competency have changed. Lawyers for Pervis have argued that he lacks the mental competency to be executed. Pervis has been removed from death row.

November 3, 2020

Pervis Tyrone Payne was scheduled to be executed shortly after 7:00 pm local time on Thursday, December 3, 2020, at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institute near Nashville, Tennessee. He has been granted a stay of execution.  Fifty-three-year-old Pervis is convicted of murdering 28-year-old Charisse Christopher and her two-year-old daughter, Lacie Jo, on June 27, 1987, in Millington, Tennessee. Pervis has spent the last 32 years of his life on Tennessee’s death row.

A stay of execution was granted to Pervis Payne by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, “due to the challenges and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.” The stay of execution was scheduled to last through at least April 9, 2021.  No new execution date is yet scheduled. Additionally, since his stay, Pervis is seeking additional DNA testing on evidence in the case. 

Pervis Payne did not have a history of drug and/or alcohol use. He also did not have a criminal history. Pervis’ parents and girlfriend both testified that he was good with children. Pervis had previously worked with his father as a painter.

Charisse Christopher lived with her two-year-old daughter Lacie and 3-year-old son Nicholas in an apartment in Millington, Tennessee. The family lived across the hall from Bobbie Thomas, who was dating Pervis Payne, whom she had met at church.

Bobbie was out of town and expected to return on June 27, 1987, and Payne stopped by several times throughout the day, once leaving his bag of clothing and some malt liquor, in the hallway outside the apartment. While waiting for Bobbie to return, Payne spent the morning and early afternoon injecting cocaine and drinking beer.

Around 3 pm, Payne returned to the apartment complex and entered Charisse’s apartment. When Charisse resisted his sexual advances, Payne became violent. The person living below Charisse heard her screaming “get out, get out” repeatedly. Charisse went briefly quiet before letting out a “blood-curdling scream,” prompting the downstairs neighbor to call the police.

When the police arrived, Payne was observed leaving the apartment, covered in so much blood, that the officer noted that he appeared to be “sweating blood.” When the police officer began questioning Payne, Payne struck the officer with his overnight bag, dropped his tennis shoes, and fled the scene.

When police entered the apartment, they discovered blood covering the walls and floor. Charisse and her two children had been stabbed repeatedly. Nicholas had been stabbed completely through his body with a butcher knife but was still alive. He was transported to a hospital and was able to survive his extensive injuries.  

Charisse and Lacie died of their injuries. Charisse had been stabbed over 40 times. None of her individual wounds were fatal, but together, they caused her to bleed out. Lacie had also received numerous stab wounds. Payne’s baseball cap was snapped onto her arm, near her elbow. Three cans of malt liquor, with Payne’s fingerprints on them, were found on a table near her body.

Police arrested Payne later that day. Payne had been hiding in the attic of the home of a former girlfriend. As Payne was being arrested, he told the officer, “Man, I ain’t killed no woman.” Payne was still covered in blood and was foaming at the mouth when he was arrested. In his pockets, Payne had a packet that contained cocaine residue, a syringe wrapper, and a cap from a syringe. His overnight bag was found nearby, along with a bloody white shirt.

Payne has continued to insist upon his innocence, testifying during his trial that he observed a man racing past him as he walked up the stairs. Upon reaching the landing, Payne alleged he heard a baby crying and a faint call for help. He saw a door ajar and announced himself before entering the apartment. Payne testified that Charisse had the knife in her throat and pulled it out while Payne was there, resulting in the blood on him. Payne alleged that he panicked and fled the scene after hearing the police sirens. 

Some DNA testing has been performed on evidence collected in the case, including on the bloody white t-shirt that was found near where Payne was hiding. The blood on the shirt was identified as belonging to the victims. Some items collected were never tested and Payne has since petitioned for them to be tested. Earlier this year, Payne’s requested was granted and additional DNA testing is scheduled to take place in mid-November.

Payne was convicted of the murder of Charisse and Lacie and received a death sentence for each murder.  

Pray for peace and healing for the family of Charisse and Lacie Jo Christopher. Pray for peace and healing for Nicholas Christopher. Please pray for strength for the family of Pervis Payne. Pray that if Pervis is innocent, lacks the competency to be executed, or should not be executed for any other reason that evidence will be provided before his execution. Pray that Pervis may come to find peace through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

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