Wichita man sentenced for stabbing death of his cousin

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A man who stabbed his cousin to death two years ago in Wichita has been sentenced to more than 19 years in prison.

Jason Payne was arrested in the death of Michael Montgomery on Jan. 13, 2021.

Around 5:40 a.m. that day, a citizen called 911 about a man lying face down in the middle of the street at 13th and Oliver. Officers arrived and found Payne lying in the street, allegedly because of using drugs. Police said that he told them he had killed his cousin.

As Payne was taken to a hospital for treatment, officers went to his apartment in the 900 block of N. Oliver. First, they found an empty wheelchair. Then, they discovered a duffel bag in a crawl space. Montgomery’s body was in the bag. An autopsy showed he had been stabbed in the head and torso.

Investigators said Payne admitted that he became angry at his cousin and began stabbing him. He told them he continued to drink and do drugs until he decided to surrender himself.

He was charged with first-degree murder but pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on July 29, 2022.

On Wednesday afternoon, District Judge Jeffrey Syrios sentenced the 41-year-old to 235 months in prison (19 years and seven months).