A Minnesota prisoner already serving a 20-year sentence for a prior killing is now facing a second-degree murder charge after his cellmate died following a violent fight inside a locked cell at Minnesota State Correctional Facility – Rush City. William Davon Hall, 29, and Stephen Scott Washington, 40, had been placed together in cell 230 for the first time on the morning of October 9, 2025. By early afternoon, Washington was dead.
According to MN Crime, Hall was returned to cell 230 at 12:44 p.m. that day, and the two men were inside as the cell door locked behind them. Nearby inmates later reported seeing Hall and Washington begin fighting, and surveillance cameras captured rapid movement through the cell window consistent with a physical altercation, according to investigators. At some point during the fight, Hall covered the cell window with white material, blocking the camera's view.
Officers Found Washington Unconscious and Not Breathing
Correctional officers responded to an alarm in cell 230 after surrounding cell inmates activated alarm buttons during the incident, according to the criminal complaint detailed by MN Crime. When officers reached the cell, they found Washington unconscious on the floor with significant facial injuries and not breathing. Emergency responders attempted to resuscitate him, but Washington was pronounced dead at about 2:07 p.m.
A witness account described Hall gaining the upper hand as Washington appeared to tire, and said Hall continued hitting and punching Washington as he sat on the bunk. Per an inmate account, Hall became more upset after losing a dreadlock during the altercation. Hall was removed from the cell after the alarm sounded; he had blood spatters on the front of his white shirt, swelling on the back of his right hand and knuckles, and a light scrape on his elbow and forearm. He declined medical attention and described his swollen right hand as “mushy.”
Hall Told Investigators the Fight Started Over Cell Cleanliness
In an interview with investigators, Hall said he and Washington had a disagreement over keeping the cell clean that escalated into a fight. He said the fight was on and off and that Washington later went unconscious, and said he yelled for help. Investigators noted that Hall made punching motions inside the cell during the altercation.
Forensic work took months to complete. Bureau of Criminal Apprehension scientists matched bloodstains found on the cell walls to Washington, according to the BCA. The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office ultimately determined that Washington's cause of death was blunt force and possible asphyxial injuries resulting from violent assault, officially ruling the manner of death a homicide, according to FOX 9.
Charges Filed Ten Months After the Fatal Fight
A warrant was issued for Hall's arrest, and he was formally charged in Chisago County District Court on August 13, 2026 — roughly ten months after the fatal altercation — with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony, according to the charges. The court has not yet set a date for Hall's appearance. The lengthy gap between the incident and the filing reflects the time needed for BCA forensic analysis and the medical examiner's ruling to be completed.
Minnesota classifies homicide charges into three degrees. First-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence, third-degree murder carries up to 25 years, and second-degree murder convictions carry presumptive sentences of 12 to 40 years, all under Minnesota law. Under Minnesota Statute § 609.19, subdivision 2(1), the specific charge Hall faces carries a statutory maximum of up to 40 years in prison, per the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission. State sentencing data from the commission shows that between 2020 and 2024, 182 people were sentenced under that same unintentional second-degree murder statute, receiving an average pronounced prison term of about 202 months, or roughly 16.8 years.
Hall Was Already Serving Time for a 2020 Killing
At the time of the cellmate attack, Hall was already serving a 20-year sentence for a prior homicide — the August 2020 shooting death of 29-year-old Darius Rodgers in Brooklyn Park, which also wounded two others, after Hall pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder and second-degree assault, according to FOX 9. Following Washington's death, corrections authorities transferred Hall out of Rush City to Minnesota Correctional Facility – Oak Park Heights, the state's sole Level 5 maximum-security prison, which houses offenders in an Administrative Control Unit for disciplinary reasons, pending investigations, or severe safety concerns.
Rush City opened in 2000 as a Level 4 close-security prison with a designed capacity of 1,032 adult male inmates, operating with double-bunked cells across six general housing units and two specialized units, according to the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Cell 230, where Hall and Washington were housed together, reflects that standard double-bunking arrangement. Under Minnesota Statute § 241.021, the department is required to conduct annual health and safety inspections of state correctional facilities and submit annual legislative reports detailing in-custody deaths and safety violations.
The case adds to ongoing scrutiny of conditions at Rush City. Hoodline previously reported on abuse claims roiling the prison earlier this year, as families pushed for greater oversight amid allegations of staff misconduct and delayed safety improvements. It remains unclear whether existing warning systems and window sightlines at facilities like Rush City are adequate to prevent in-cell violence before help can arrive.
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