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Breakdown: Like Walter’s mother, his father was a soft-spoken hard worker who often could be found either at the factory or, come weekends, on a corner shining shoes. Like many black southern fathers in the 1960s and 70s, Peter took to disciplining his children with either a stick or belt—and did so holding little back.
Walter’s relationship with Peter was complex. Walter respected his father, and admired much about the man. But there was an emotional gulf between the two, probably caused by Peter’s lack of affection and warmth.
Pearlman’s take: Peter died on December 11, 1978, so obviously I didn’t interview him. However, I found reporting his death to be fascinating. Peter died in jail, all alone, after suffering from a brain aneurism. Most whites in the area chalked the whole incident up to a misunderstanding. Most blacks, well, did not. Walter Payton was outraged when he heard the circumstances, and remained furious at his hometown throughout his life. Though he put a positive spin on his emotions, they were raw and real. As far as Walter was concerned, his dad was murdered.
From Sweetness: On the evening of Monday, December 11, 1978, Peter Payton was tending to his five-acre farm on the outskirts of Columbia. “He called it his plantation,” said Holmes. “He grew tomatoes and peas and watermelons there, and usually went after work to blow off some steam.” While driving back home, Peter stopped at the small grocery store, where he had been going for years. As he entered the building, he blathered incoherently. “Pete, you better go home,” one of the workers said. “You look like you’ve had a lot to drink.”
“I haven’t had anything,” he replied.
Nobody believed him, because Peter Payton was a drunk. The smell of alcohol regularly reeked from his breath, and to spot him passed out on some bench or in the front seat of his truck was hardly an uncommon occurrence. As the father of two NFL players, Peter was a recognizable figure throughout Marion County. When a recognizable figure attaches himself to the bottle, folks notice.
Peter exited the store and drove off . Moments later he crashed into an empty parked car at a gas station. When a couple of Marion County police officers arrived on the scene, they asked Peter to step out of his vehicle, then watched him stumble around, mumbling nonsense. When he refused to take a blood alcohol test, he was charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants and taken to the Marion County Jail. An officer allegedly tried contacting Alyne, but she was in Chicago with Walter. “You’re going to spend the night here,” Peter was told. “Sober up.” He was placed in a single person cell, with a concrete floor and an open toilet and a small bar of soap. The walls were made of cement. Shortly before midnight, a handful of inmates screamed for help.