Slain woman's family appeals for help in finding her killer

The family may never have closure, knowing they will not see her again. Rebecca Payne was slain three months ago today in her Mission Hill apartment, a killing that startled the neighborhood and that remains unsolved.

"It's kind of been not real," her father, Nicholas Payne, said yesterday. "But then we realize we're never going to see her again. She's never going to show up again. . . . It's just like a big hole."

He may never come to terms with it, Payne said. But if any justice can come in the case, he said, it would be to have his daughter's killer behind bars, never to do harm again.

The Payne family, still grieving over the loss of a daughter with a "smile that could bring a whole room together," has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. The money was raised through private fund-raising, with significant contributions from Northeastern University and Legal Sea Foods, the restaurant where Payne worked as a waitress.

Any information could help police detectives who have been stymied in their investigation since the beginning, the family said. And someone had to have heard something, or seen something, that could be reported, they hope.

"We know that there are people who have valuable information, so we ask individuals to look deep into their hearts and help us bring the person responsible for this horrible and senseless act to justice," Payne said in a prepared statement.

Rebecca Payne, a 22-year-old from New Milford, Conn., was a senior at Northeastern majoring in athletic training. She was killed some time in the early morning hours of May 20, succumbing to gunshot wounds to her chest and legs.

A building manager noticed Payne's apartment door open about 6:50 a.m. and called police.

But investigators may have already been late in following the killer's trail. Witnesses told police after the body was discovered that they had heard several shots hours earlier, but never thought to call 911.

Police found no signs of forced entry, but have not decided whether Payne knew her killer. At the time, police were looking for a black van that may have fled the area when the gunshots were heard. But the trail led nowhere.

Elaine Driscoll, police spokeswoman, said yesterday that detectives continue to investigate. She said investigators are pursuing leads, but any information could help.

The killing horrified the Mission Hill neighborhood, where college students mix with longtime residents. Payne moved into her Parker Hill Avenue apartment last August.

She had loved the city, saying she wanted to attend college here during her first visit, her father said. He said Payne was a bright student, positive and dedicated, and a potential leader in her field of athletic training.

She was close with friends, even though she was a New York Yankees fan in Red Sox Nation.

"With a few words and a smile she could bring a whole room together. . . . That's just the kind of girl she was," her mother, Virginia Payne, said during a press conference yesterday. "We will never forget her. But my main concern is I would never want another parent to feel what I'm feeling right now."

Milton Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe.com.