Hotel employee in Milwaukee admits guilt to charges related to the death of D'Vontaye Mitchell, facing felony murder accusation.
Four Hotel Workers to be Sentenced in Milwaukee Hotel Death Case
On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, the sentencing for four individuals involved in the Milwaukee hotel death case will take place. This includes Todd Erickson, a former Hyatt Hotel security guard, and three other hotel workers: Brandon Turner, Herbert Williamson, and Devin Johnson-Carson.
The events leading to this case occurred in June 2024 when D'Vontaye Mitchell, a Black man, ran into the Hyatt's lobby and went into the women's bathroom. Security guard Brandon Turner pulled Mitchell out of the bathroom, and together with a guest, they dragged him out of the lobby onto a hotel driveway.
Surveillance video shows that Johnson-Carson, the front desk worker, held Mitchell's legs while Erickson, Turner, and Williamson, a bellhop, held down his upper body. They kept him pinned for eight to nine minutes. The struggle continued, with Turner, Erickson, Williamson, and Johnson-Carson, as well as another unidentified individual, before taking Mitchell to the ground and piling on top of him.
By the time emergency responders arrived, Mitchell had stopped breathing. A medical examiner later determined that Mitchell was morbidly obese, suffered from heart disease, and had cocaine and methamphetamine in his system. The medical examiner concluded that Mitchell had suffocated and ruled his death a homicide.
Todd Erickson pleaded guilty to being a party to felony murder in connection with Mitchell's death on July 31, 2025. Turner pleaded guilty to the same charge in March 2025. Williamson and Johnson-Carson, initially charged with felony murder, pleaded guilty to a reduced count of misdemeanor battery earlier this year.
The plea moves a criminal case that resembles George Floyd's death a step closer to resolution. Attorneys for Mitchell's family have likened his death to Floyd's murder.
Kerri Cleghorn, Todd Erickson's attorney, did not immediately return a voicemail left at her office regarding the sentencing. It is yet to be determined what sentences each of the four individuals will receive, but Erickson faces up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on September 3.
Two women later told detectives that Mitchell tried to lock them in the bathroom before the incident. This case has sparked controversy and discussions about the use of force and the treatment of individuals in such situations.
The upcoming sentencing on September 3, 2025, for Todd Erickson, Brandon Turner, Herbert Williamson, and Devin Johnson-Carson, involved in the Milwaukee hotel death case, is a matter of political and general news interest. Their guilty pleas, including Erickson's felony murder charge, have been compared to the George Floyd case, sparking debates about crime and justice, war-and-conflicts, and politics. The fates of these individuals, who used excessive force in the death of D'Vontaye Mitchell, will be decided during the sentencing proceedings.
