A Herington man has been formally charged with the murder of former Emporian Mackenzie Payne.
Wichita media says the Sedgwick County Attorney’s Office has charged Dylan Leigh Barber, age 25, with first-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon after Payne’s death by stabbing early Tuesday. Bond has been set at $500,000.
Payne, a 2013 graduate of Emporia High School and a member of the swim team, was preparing to enter medical school at the University of Kansas.
Barber, meanwhile, reportedly called 911 early Tuesday to say he had harmed his girlfriend. The Kansas Department of Corrections says Barber was convicted of burglary in Reno County in 2015. He served probation afterward.
Wichita Police has not named Barber as the suspect in the crime. Further details about what led to Payne’s death have not been released.
