INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Orlando Mitchell, a 36-year-old man, was handed a 66-year prison sentence on Tuesday for the murder of Krystal Walton, the mother of his child, outside an Indianapolis daycare last year. Walton was 32 at the time of her death. Court documents from Marion County reveal that along with this murder conviction, Mitchell was sentenced for breaching a no-contact order stemming from Walton’s previous allegations of domestic abuse against him.
While Mitchell will receive credit for 746 days already served, he still faces another serious legal battle. He is scheduled to stand trial in August 2026 for the murder of Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy John Durm, 61, which took place during an attempted escape from custody in July 2023.
Mitchell’s deadly attack on Walton unfolded after he lay in wait outside the daycare. Security footage revealed that he ambushed Walton shortly after she arrived to drop off her children around 7:30 a.m. on the day of the murder, September 16, 2022.
At the scene, officers encountered Mitchell’s grandmother, who revealed that Orlando had made threats against Walton, vowing a “murder-suicide,” though she had not heard from him in over a month. The information was corroborated when officers received a tip regarding Mitchell’s vehicle near the daycare around the time of the shooting.
Following his capture, Mitchell suffered a gunshot wound to the leg during a standoff with police. As he was being transported to the hospital, Mitchell unabashedly confessed to the murder, making crude remarks about shooting Walton in the face.
Walton had been subjected to a frightening campaign of harassment and threats by Mitchell since 2021. Legal documents note that he was previously charged with assaulting Walton while she was pregnant. Despite a guilty plea in these prior incidents, he managed to avoid jail time, only to violate a restraining order shortly thereafter.
In the stalking of Walton, Mitchell’s threats were made explicit when he broke into her mother’s home. He warned Walton that contacting the police would be her last action. Subsequent messages from Mitchell underscored his resolve to ensure Walton’s destruction.
The violence culminated in 2023 when, amid trial proceedings for Walton’s murder, Mitchell allegedly killed Deputy Durm by using his handcuff chain to strangle him during yet another escape attempt. Authorities maintain that Deputy Durm’s murder adds to Mitchell’s felonious history, reinforcing the life he would now live behind bars.
Mitchell remains in custody, awaiting trial for this additional charge while serving his current sentence for Walton’s murder. The emotional and legal repercussions of his actions continue to unfold, gripping the community with each new development.