Suspect in death of Marion Co. sheriff’s deputy also charged in 2022 day care murder
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The prisoner accused of killing a veteran member of the Marion Co. Sheriff’s Office on Monday during an escape attempt is the same man police say killed his girlfriend outside an Indianapolis day care in 2022.
Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy John Durm, 61, died after being strangled by 34-year-old Orlando Mitchell, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by News 8.
Prosecutors say Durm was bringing Mitchell back to the Criminal Justice Center after a medical appointment when Mitchell assaulted him inside the sally port and took control of the prison van.
Mitchell was arrested after crashing the van into a nearby utility pole.
Mitchell was being held on murder charges for the death of 32-year-old Krystal Walton. Police say Mitchell admitted to the shooting Walton, the mother of his child, outside of a day care at Holmes Avenue and 10th Street early on Sept. 16, 2022.
Investigators believe Mitchell approached Walton and shot her as she walked from Charity Church Child Care Center. Multiple people witnessed the shooting.
Walton had called the police Mitchell multiple times before she died on Sept. 16. Walton was four months pregnant when she said her boyfriend had choked her and she was concerned he would find her, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in March 2021.
That same month, the father of Walton’s 6-year-old daughter came to pick her house to pick up the child. He had called to say he was outside in his vehicle. Walton told police Mitchell became enraged saying “I’m gonna f*** you up! I’m gonna mess around and kill you!” as she was styling the child’s hair.
The father then called again. Mitchell, who had Walton by the hair, answered the phone saying, “Why you keep callin’ my b****’s phone?”, according to court documents.
Walton said Mitchell told her she needed to get rid of the baby she was pregnant with, then grabbed her by the neck, forced her back onto a bed, and climbed on top of her. She told police that her daughter jumped on Mitchell’s back and yelled, “Get off my mommy!”
Walton took her daughter and fled to her mother’s house nearby.
Mitchell was arrested and later charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor. A judge ordered him to stay away from Walton.
In June 2022, Mitchell pleaded guilty to domestic battery in the presence of a child under the age of 16 and received probation. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dropped charges of strangulation of a pregnant victim, confinement, and intimidation.
Court docs say, in August 2022, Walton was at her mother’s house when Mitchell showed up and said he wanted to take their son a day earlier than scheduled.
Walton said that when she realized it was Mitchell knocking at the door, she pushed a couch against it, but he forced his way inside the home. Walton told police he began threatening her when she tried calling the police.
“This will be the last time you call for someone,” he said, according to court documents. “If you call the police, it’ll be the last thing you do.”
Mitchell was charged with residential entry, invasion of privacy, and intimidation in September 2022. A warrant for Mitchell’s arrest was issued on the same day.
Police found Mitchell three hours after Walton’s death, holding a rifle at a bus stop near North Delaware and 10th Streets.
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