Mtula Payton’s testimony in Sacramento’s deadliest shooting trial is painting two starkly different pictures of what happened on April 3, 2022, when gunfire erupted at 10th and K streets, leaving six dead and twelve wounded.
Payton’s defense narrative rests on a deceptively simple premise: a night out with friends that spiraled unexpectedly into chaos. On the stand, he described arriving downtown planning to meet one friend, casually bumping into others—including Smiley Martin and DeVazia Turner—before tensions escalated around 1:57 a.m. when he heard someone mention having a gun. Before that moment, Payton testified, he felt no real danger. It was just friends hanging out at Rodney’s Liquor, smoking, sharing a bottle, waiting for District 30 to get busier so they could meet women and party. Then a heated exchange between a woman named BD and someone called Hoye-Luchessi triggered the violence. Payton admits he returned fire while running, but he claims uncertainty about who shot first.
The prosecution sees it differently—and they’re armed with specifics. Prosecutors built their case around surveillance footage, scene evidence, and testimony from reluctant witnesses (some granted immunity) painting a picture of premeditated gang activity. When they cross-examined Payton, they didn’t just challenge his account; they produced photographic evidence. When he claimed he and Turner moved their cars out of a fire lane, prosecutors showed a photo proving Turner’s car remained parked in a red zone with Harris’s car behind it. When he said he forgot he brought a gun to a venue that screens patrons with metal detectors, prosecutors asked the logical follow-up: why then take it inside when you saw it? Payton answered he always carries one.
The contradiction between“just friends hanging out”and“gang members with guns”has defined this trial from the start. Payton’s testimony emphasizes his long friendship with Turner—they bonded around age 15 or 16—and his representation of Garden Blocc Crips since age 11. He also acknowledged his history with Smiley Martin, though they’d drifted apart after both faced early custody issues. But friendship and gang affiliation aren’t mutually exclusive, and that’s exactly where the jury’s focus lands.
What stands out isn’t just what Payton said, but how the prosecution systematically poked holes in his narrative. The parking lot photo. The forgotten gun he conveniently remembered to take. Small details matter in a case where six people are dead and the story turns on whether violence was spontaneous or calculated. As Payton prepares for more questioning from prosecutors, those contradictions will likely take center stage again—because in a trial about Sacramento’s worst shooting, consistency is everything.
The victims—21-year-old Johntaya“JoJo”Alexander, 57-year-old Melinda Davis, and 21-year-old Yamile Martinez-Andrade—remain at the heart of this case, even as lawyers and witnesses spar over what led to the moment gunfire erupted.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
