Andrew Reedy. Contributed photo.

Andrew Reedy. Contributed photo.

Andrew Reedy, the man accused of murdering Jane E. Payton in her Masury home on Dec. 20, was released from the hospital today (Jan. 2) and was taken to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to be arraigned on charges of aggravated murder and aggravated burglary, according to the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office.

Reedy, 57, who was hospitalized for a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face, pleaded not guilty and was taken to Trumbull County Jail, where he is being held without bond.

Reedy next appears in court Jan. 14, the prosecution said.

The prosecution identified the murder weapon as a shotgun.

Police had been called with a report that Reedy was trying to force his way into Payton’s home at 545 Lucy St., but no one answered the door when police arrived to investigate, police said. They talked to Reedy on the phone and Reedy told them he and the person who had called for help had left the home.

Reedy had lived with Payton, 57, but she had had him evicted through court proceedings that morning, police said.
Because police could not reach the caller and they did not believe some of the information Reedy gave them, they forced their way into Payton’s home, police said.

After finding Payton’s body, police began searching the rest of the house when they heard a gun go off from the second floor, they said. They backed out and waited for more officers and equipment to arrive on the scene, then re-entered. Police called for Reedy and he said something and then “racked” the action of a firearm, police said.

Police left the house again and called for the Mahoning Valley Crisis Response Team. Police were on the scene for 21 hours before Reedy surrendered at 7:20 a.m. Dec. 21.