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Former Milwaukee hotel employees sentenced in death of Dvontaye Mitchell following restraint incident.
MILWAUKEE — Four former hotel employees were sentenced Wednesday for their roles in the death of a man outside a downtown Milwaukee hotel. The incident occurred in June 2024 outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Kilbourn Avenue.
Todd Erickson and Brandon Turner, who worked as security guards at the hotel, pleaded guilty to being a party to felony murder. Herbert Williamson, a former bellhop, and Devin Johnson-Carson, a former front desk worker, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor battery.
Turner received probation during the morning court session. During the sentencing, Mitchell’s widow expressed her displeasure with the outcome.
“This person, Mr. Turner, knew exactly what he was doing when he took my husband’s life,” she said. “When he took my husband away from our children, away from his mother, away from his siblings.”
Turner apologized to Mitchell’s family.
“I want to apologize to the Mitchell family, for all of this confusion, and all of us being here. This could have easily been avoided. I never intended for none of this to happen,” he said.
Wednesday afternoon, Judge David Swanson sentenced Johnson-Carson to four days in the Community Reintegration Center with four days credit for time served. The judge said Johnson-Carson had a very limited involvement and he had received 35+ letters vouching for his character.
Swanson said Johnson-Carson had a perfect record while under supervision.
Williamson received a sentence of 10 days at the Community Reintegration Center, the former House of Correction, with 10 days credit for time served.
Later in the afternoon, Swanson sentenced Erickson to probation. He initially ruled two years initial confinement and two years probation, but the prison time is stayed, meaning if he successfully completes probation that’s all he’ll serve.
Prosecutors said surveillance video showed the four men pinned Dvontaye Mitchell to the ground outside the hotel after he caused a disturbance. Mitchell died at the scene.
Turner apologized to Mitchell’s family in court. “I want to apologize to Miss Giles personally, his mother and his father,” Turner said. “This could have been easily avoided. I never intended for none of this to happen.”
The state urged the judge to consider community safety and justice for Mitchell’s family, emphasizing that every life has value.
Erickson, who also pleaded guilty to being a party to felony murder, and the remaining defendants are scheduled for sentencing later today.
