Westville Correctional Facility Inmate Found Guilty Of Murder In Beating Death Of Fellow Prisoner
A LaPorte County jury found Donell Davis, 30, an inmate at the Westville Correctional Facility, guilty on January 29, 2026, in 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 suffered a fatal drug overdose inside the facility. Further investigation revealed Taylor had visible injuries and bruising, and blood was located in multiple areas of the dormitory separate from where his body was found.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from inside the dormitory which showed Taylor entering the bed area assigned to Davis and being immediately engaged in an altercation. Witnesses were observed intervening before Davis re-entered his dorm room. Taylor was later seen walking across the hall holding the back of his head before entering a bathroom. Davis was observed entering the bathroom multiple times while numerous inmates stood outside watching.
The footage later showed Taylor being carried or dragged from the bathroom without moving or showing signs of life. Surveillance also captured inmates attempting to clean areas of the dormitory with towels, shirts, water bottles, cleaning supplies, and a mop bucket. Investigators noted the substance being cleaned was Taylor’s blood and that Davis was not observed bleeding.
Investigators documented dried blood inside Davis’s dorm room, inside the bathroom Taylor entered, and in multiple other areas of the dormitory. Interviews were conducted with witnesses and Davis as part of the investigation.
During a jury trial on January 29, 2026, the court read final instructions to the jury before deliberations. The jury returned to open court and announced verdicts finding Davis guilty of all charges submitted to them. The State then moved to dismiss the Habitual Offender enhancement.
The court scheduled sentencing for February 27, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. (CST).
Guilty Of:
• Murder
• Aggravated Battery (Level 3 Felony)
• Involuntary Manslaughter (Level 5 Felony)
• Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury (Level 5 Felony)
• Battery Resulting in Moderate Bodily Injury (Level 6 Felony)
• Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury (Class A Misdemeanor)**
