This week, ID’s Dead Days of Summer returns with an amazing new case that revolves around Debbie Gama, a 16-year-old high school student at Strong Vincent in Erie, Pennsylvania. When the girl died and her body was found floating in a stream, the small village was rocked.
Twisted Lessons is the name of the next episode of the program, which is scheduled to premiere on August 11, 2022. The episode synopsis is as follows:
The investigation that follows the discovery of high school student Debbie Gama’s body in a stream turns out to be more than just her killer.
Who was Debbie Gama?
Pennsylvania native Debbie Gama met a horrific end at the hands of a teacher who harbored sinister thoughts. Although the perpetrator gave a different account of what happened, the basic reason for his murder and the order in which it occurred remain the same.
Debbie, who had a close relationship with her mother, had a violent argument with her on a hot summer day in August 1975. Her mother had no idea that was the last time her daughter would see her. After storming out of her house, Debbie was slow to return.
Although her family initially believed the teenager had fled following the argument, her body was discovered floating in a creek in Crawford County, Pennsylvania days later.
She had copper wires around her neck, hands and legs, as well as on her hands and legs. Authorities identified “acute asphyxia due to ligature” as the cause of his death. The coroner’s findings also suggested violence.
Further investigation indicated that Debbie Gama was taken to a nearby park while high on drugs, where she was assaulted and tied up. She was then killed by strangulation and thrown into a stream. Before they finally got somewhere with outside help, the authorities spent a long time searching in vain.
Who Killed Debbie Gama?
After the police spent a considerable amount of time following up legitimate leads, Debbie’s mother hired a private investigator who uncovered a crucial connection. Police pursued the line after the PI found a connection between Debbie and her high school instructor Raymond Payne and uncovered evidence that directly linked Raymond to young Debbie’s murder.
Nearly a year after Debbie’s death, Raymond was detained in September 1976. The teacher was sentenced to life after pleading guilty to a general count of murder, despite his claims that Debbie’s death was an accident and that she had agreed to be bound with copper wires.
In 2020, Raymond Payne died of COVID-19 after testing positive. At that time, he was incarcerated.