Daniel W. Walter, a 28-year-old man from rural Indiana, tragically lost his life on April 25, 2020, in Danville, Illinois. Walter, who was of Caucasian descent, was fatally shot in a violent incident that has since led to significant legal proceedings. On the day of his death, Walter was with Kevin Marshall, a 34-year-old man from Danville, and Marshall's girlfriend. The trio was traveling to an address on Ray Street in Danville when Marshall instructed Walter to exit the vehicle under the pretense of wanting to talk. Once outside, Marshall shot Walter four times, leaving him near a detached garage. As Marshall and his girlfriend attempted to flee in Walter's Ford F-150, Marshall stopped the vehicle, returned to Walter, and shot him five more times, taking his phone and identification before leaving the scene.
Walter's body was discovered several hours later, but he was not identified until the following day during an autopsy. The Illinois State Police forensic specialists matched shell casings found at the scene to a Taurus 9mm handgun. The investigation revealed that Marshall and his girlfriend drove Walter's truck to Belvidere, Illinois, the day after the murder, abandoning it when it broke down. The vehicle was recovered by the Belvidere Police Department on April 29, 2020.
The case saw significant developments when Marshall and his girlfriend were arrested on August 18, 2020, during a traffic stop at a Casey's gas station in Danville. At the time of his arrest, Marshall was in possession of the Taurus 9mm handgun used in the murder, a Colt .45, and several dozen methamphetamine pills. Evidence presented at trial indicated that Marshall had obtained the Colt .45 and the methamphetamine pills earlier that summer, intending to distance himself from the murder weapon by having his girlfriend carry the gun.
Marshall faced multiple charges, including carjacking resulting in death, murder, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, carrying firearms during a drug trafficking crime, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. A federal jury returned five guilty verdicts against Marshall on August 7, 2024. The trial, which spanned seven days, included evidence of Marshall's attempts to obstruct justice by manipulating his girlfriend into writing false letters claiming responsibility for the weapons and drugs and denying knowledge of Walter's murder. Marshall's sentencing is scheduled for December 9, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois. He faces the possibility of life imprisonment for his crimes.
