Black Mom Killed While Dropping Infant Son Off at Daycare, Her Ex Sentenced to 66 Years in Prison

Nationwide — Back in 2022, 32-year-old Krystal Walton, an African American mom from Indianapolis, Indiana, was gunned outside a daycare center as she dropped off their infant son. Her ex-boyfriend, 35-year-old Orlando Mitchell, has now been sentenced to 66 years in prison. According to court records, Mitchell received his sentence this week and will serve time in the Indiana Department of Correction. The case drew widespread outrage due to the brutal and public nature of the killing.

According to People, a jury found Mitchell guilty in February after just 90 minutes of deliberation. Prosecutors said he ambushed Walton on the morning of September 16, 2022, as she returned to her car after dropping off their son. Witnesses told police that Mitchell had been waiting outside the daycare, then ran up and shot her seven times around 7:30 a.m. The shooting happened in front of multiple witnesses, including young children. After fleeing the scene, Mitchell was arrested following a police standoff, during which he refused to drop a rifle and was shot by officers.

According to a probable cause affidavit, body camera footage captured Mitchell shouting, “I shot that b—h!” and “I shot that b—h in the face!” immediately after his arrest. The court also heard that Walton had previously filed a protective order against Mitchell, expressing fear for her life. One month before the murder, Mitchell had threatened to kill both Walton and himself in a murder-suicide, according to statements made by his mother to authorities.

Mitchell’s mother told police that he was angry about not being allowed to see his 1-year-old son, and that he had become increasingly unstable. “If he couldn’t see his son, she wasn’t gonna be in his life either,” she recalled him saying, according to the affidavit. Prosecutors painted a picture of a dangerous and obsessive man who turned violent when he couldn’t control his relationship. The judge agreed, handing down a lengthy sentence for both murder and invasion of privacy.

Walton’s family has expressed relief that Mitchell was convicted, though the pain of her loss remains. “She didn’t stand a chance,” said her father, Christopher Walton, in an interview with CBS4 Indy. “This creepy predator violently and viciously attacked her.” Walton’s murder has become a tragic example of how domestic violence can escalate to fatal levels despite protective orders and prior warnings.

Mitchell’s legal problems are not over. He is also facing separate murder charges for the 2023 death of Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy John Durm. Authorities say Mitchell killed Durm during an escape attempt from the Marion County jail. Prosecutors are now pursuing the death penalty in that case, which remains pending. Mitchell’s attorney has not commented publicly on either case.