DJ Fickey

 

Donald "DJ" Fickey Jr. was a 28-year-old Georgia man whose 2016 death, initially ruled a suicide, was later proven to be a murder by Marshall Payne. Following years of investigation by family and authorities, Payne was convicted in November 2025 of malice and felony murder.

Case Details and Investigation

Incident: On October 3, 2016, DJ Fickey was found dead from a gunshot wound in Walker County, Georgia.

Initial Ruling: Police originally ruled the death a suicide based on reports from Marshall Payne, who claimed the gun discharged accidentally while trying to stop Fickey.

Investigation: Family members, specifically his sister Amanda Shirley, and a private investigator, believed it was murder, citing red flags in the initial report.

Reversal: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) changed the manner of death to undetermined in 2020 and later to homicide.

Conviction: In November 2025, a jury found Marshall Payne guilty of murder, revealing a motive involving a love triangle between Payne, Fickey, and Fickey's wife.

Sentence: Payne was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.