The trial for Orlando Mitchell, accused of fatally shooting Krystal Walton and subsequently strangled a Marion County sheriff's deputy, has commenced. Mitchell faces multiple charges including murder in connection to the September 16, 2022 incident involving Walton, who was the mother of his child. WRTV reports that the shooting took place outside an Indianapolis daycare center, with Mitchell accused of murder, invasion of privacy, unlawful possession of a firearm, and criminal recklessness.
During the incident, witnesses claim to have seen Mitchell shoot Walton multiple times in the daycare parking lot. A protective order was reportedly in place against Mitchell at the time. According to statements recorded in court documents obtained by FOX59, Mitchell allegedly said he committed the heinous act because “if he couldn’t see his son, she wasn’t gonna be in his life either,” apparently indicating a motive tangled up in custody issues.
Later that same day, responding officers found Mitchell armed and he refused to drop his weapon, leading to an exchange of gunfire where he was injured in the leg. Police had been alerted by a community tip about Mitchell's whereabouts and his car, which matched descriptions from the earlier day care shooting. WTHR shares the details from officers' bodycam footage which depicts the confrontation and Mitchell's eventual apprehension, as well as his possession of multiple firearms.
In a separate but equally grave case, Mitchell is also accused of killing Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy John Durm in July 2023. The alleged murder took place during an escape attempt while Mitchell was returning to the detention center from a hospital visit. His trial in this case is yet to begin. However, prosecutors have already indicated their intention to seek the death penalty for the latter charges, as per the information from FOX59. A pretrial conference is set for March for the accusations surrounding Deputy Durm's death.
The complexity of this case is magnified by the layered accusations against Mitchell - not only is he to answer for the murder of the mother of his son, but he also must face the heavy consequence of being charged in the death of a law enforcement officer. The community awaits outcome of the trials, as justice for the victims in this tragic series of events hangs in balance.
