Daniel Nitzsche, a 52-year-old male, was fatally shot on November 19, 2020, in East Chicago, Indiana, during what authorities described as a robbery. Before succumbing to his injuries, Nitzsche was able to tell responding officers that two males wearing ski masks had robbed and shot him. He was transported to St. Catherine Hospital, where he later died.
The investigation into Daniel Nitzsche's death quickly led police to a suspect, 22-year-old Leon Taylor.
Investigators were able to connect Taylor to the crime through witness statements and surveillance footage that captured a silver Dodge Charger seen at the scene. When officers stopped the vehicle, a female driver was questioned and identified the man who fled from the car as her boyfriend, Leon Taylor. She informed the police that she had driven Taylor and his 14-year-old friend to East Chicago on the day of the murder.
While being extradited from Texas, Leon Taylor escaped from a prisoner transport van on December 14, 2020, in Gary, Indiana. His escape prompted a manhunt, and he was recaptured two days later in East Chicago. Taylor was subsequently charged with murder and murder in the perpetration of a robbery in connection with Daniel Nitzsche's death.
In an unexpected turn of events, Lake County prosecutors dropped the murder charges against Leon Taylor for Daniel Nitzsche's death on December 29, 2020. This decision was made as Taylor was simultaneously charged with the murder of 17-year-old Nicholas Pisani, which occurred on June 28, 2020, also in East Chicago. Taylor later pleaded guilty to Pisani's murder and was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
The current status of the investigation into the death of Daniel Nitzsche remains unclear, and information regarding any charges against the 14-year-old accomplice has not been publicly disclosed.
