One year since rookie Shreveport officer Chatéri Payne was killed

January 2019 was the beginning of a new journey for Shreveport police officer Chatéri Payne.

The 22-year-old had just graduated the police academy only months before and was starting the new calendar year fresh, full-speed into her new career.

“Long Days. Aching Nights. But I decided to stand tall on my dream,” Payne wrote in a Facebook post in November 2018.

Her goal was to be a positive influence and to try to push others into being better versions of themselves; a goal she was aiming for herself as well, she expressed.

“…I’ve never claimed to be perfect, but I am taking this step and becoming a better version of myself by knowing that it is always something bigger than MYSELF,” Payne continued.

“It is an honor to be able to join such a powerful family with my Brothers and Sisters in Blue. May the journey begin.”

January 2019 is when it ended.

Gunned down in uniform

Payne was a track star and dance line member at Captain Shreve High school. She ran track for most of her high school years and served as captain her final season. She was a sprinter but also participated in the long jump and relay events.

“She was loud,” Marita Hunt, Payne’s high school coach, told The Times in a previous report. “But loud in a good way.”

Payne graduated from Captain Shreve in 2014. In July 2018, she joined the Shreveport Police Department and graduated from the police academy on Nov. 16, 2018.

"It was evident to all that she has a true call to serve," Shreveport police chief Ben Raymond said in a January 2019 report in The Times.

"I handed her diploma to her, and I shook her hand as she proudly walked across the stage and joined our ranks. I saw first hand the excitement in her eyes."

RELATED: A tribute to fallen Shreveport cop Chatéri Payne ... from Philadelphia

On Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019, Payne was leaving her home on Midway Avenue to go work an overnight shift when she was gunned down.

The shooting reportedly occurred around 8:20 that evening. When responding officers made it to the home around 8:30 p.m., they found their colleague in uniform and wounded by multiple gunshots.

She was taken away by members of the Shreveport Fire Department and rushed to Ochsner LSU Health hospital, less than a mile away, where she died about two hours later.

The search for ‘coward or cowards’

The sight of investigators processing the crime scene consumed the majority of the next day.

Investigators raked through leaves in search for clues. Eventually, a black Chevy sedan in the home’s driveway was removed and red stains on the pavement were washed away.

In a news conference that Thursday, police provided a timeline of the events as they unfolded the night before and the chief announced that they were in search of the '‘coward or cowards'’ responsible.

"At the early stage of the investigation, we are not willing to rule out anything," Raymond told reporters. "We will follow every lead wherever they may take us, and we will work to identify and apprehend the coward or cowards responsible for the brutal murder of Officer Payne."

Before she was laid to rest, her boyfriend Trevon Anderson -- who is also the father of her, then-2-year-old daughter -- was arrested alongside two others in connection to her slaying.

Anderson, Lawrence Pierre and Glenn Frierson, were each charged with second-degree murder. Pierre reportedly told police that the three men are cousins.

RELATED: Shreveport Officer Chatéri Payne's funeral: 'We have the watch now. Rest in peace.'

Anderson was detained the night of the shooting but was released. He allegedly told detectives that he was inside the house, at 1633 Midway Avenue, where the couple lived when he heard shots. Anderson then claimed he went outside and fired a gun at someone dressed in all black, but couldn’t identify, and then called 911 after he saw that Payne was injured.

But evidence in the investigation led investigators back to Anderson.

"We believe Anderson shot and killed her, then concocted the false narrative of her being murdered by an unknown suspect," Raymond said in a news conference following the men’s arrests.

Pierre reportedly told police that he was present during the shooting and identified Anderson as the triggerman. Pierre also told police where to find the .40-caliber handgun used in the crime. Police found the weapon in a residence but did not disclose where, according to previous reports.

Payne’s and Anderson’s toddler child was inside the home at the time of the shooting. Police said the child probably did not witness the incident.

Upcoming court dates

In March 2019, all three men were indicted by a Caddo Parish grand jury, charging them with second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder.

Anderson, Pierre and Frierson are each set to make their next court appearance on Jan. 30 for arguments and hearings, according to Caddo Parish Court records. Court minutes indicate the case trials are set for March.

MORE: Man charged in Officer Payne's killing sentenced on separate federal gun, drug charges

Emily Enfinger is the breaking news reporter for The Shreveport Times, covering crime and court. Follow her on Twitter at @EmilyEnfinger.

Have a news tip? Email Emily at eenfinger@gannett.com.