A LaPorte County jury found Donell Davis, 30, an inmate at the Westville Correctional Facility, guilty on January 29, 2026, in connection with the November 7, 2023 beating death of fellow inmate John Taylor.
According to court documents, Indiana State Police were contacted after Taylor was initially believed to have died from a drug overdose inside the facility. Further investigation revealed visible injuries and bruising on Taylor’s body, along with blood found in multiple areas of the dormitory separate from where he was discovered.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from inside the dormitory, which showed Taylor entering the bed area assigned to Davis and immediately becoming involved in an altercation. Witnesses were seen intervening before Davis returned to his dorm room. Taylor was later observed walking across the hall while holding the back of his head before entering a bathroom. Surveillance footage showed Davis entering the bathroom multiple times while several inmates stood outside watching.
The footage later captured Taylor being carried or dragged from the bathroom without moving or showing signs of life. Surveillance also showed inmates attempting to clean areas of the dormitory using towels, shirts, water bottles, cleaning supplies, and a mop bucket. Investigators determined the substance being cleaned was Taylor’s blood and noted that Davis was not observed bleeding.
Investigators documented dried blood inside Davis’s dorm room, inside the bathroom Taylor entered, and in several other areas of the dormitory. Authorities conducted interviews with witnesses and Davis as part of the investigation.
During the jury trial on January 29, 2026, the court read final instructions to the jury before deliberations began. The jury returned to open court and delivered verdicts finding Davis guilty on all charges submitted. The State then moved to dismiss the Habitual Offender enhancement.
The court scheduled sentencing for February 27, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. (CST).
Davis was found guilty of murder, aggravated battery as a Level 3 felony, involuntary manslaughter as a Level 5 felony, battery resulting in serious bodily injury as a Level 5 felony, battery resulting in moderate bodily injury as a Level 6 felony, and battery resulting in bodily injury as a Class A misdemeanor.