Person of interest named in disappearance and murder of Christine Flahive

Just over a month after a property in Punta Gorda was searched in connection to the Christine Flahive cold case, detectives now have a person of interest.

Tuesday morning, Jonathan Charles Payne was named as a person of interest in the disappearance and murder of Christine Flahive on January 4, 1995.

Flahive was last seen by family members at home, before she left on her bicycle to go to a local bar.

She was known to frequent J.D.’s Lounge in downtown Punta Gorda during that time frame, and detectives believe multiple people who also frequented that establishment may also have pivotal information that can help solve this case.

Cold case detectives confirm that Jonathan Payne had close ties to the Rollins Street location, which was searched in January 2019 by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office and the Peace River K-9 Search and Rescue team.

Payne, like Flahive, was also a frequent patron of J.D.’s Lounge, according to Crime Stoppers.

Although Payne passed away in 2011, detectives want to hear from anyone who knew or had contact with Payne around the time that Flahive was murdered.

Anyone with information on Jonathan Charles Payne, or any other aspect of the Christine Flahive murder, is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). All callers will remain anonymous and will be eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000. Tips may also be made on the P3Tips mobile app.