The third former Milwaukee hotel worker accused of involvement in the death of a man last summer reached a plea agreement with prosecutors on Thursday. Devin Johnson-Carson, a former front desk worker at Hyatt, initially faced a charge of felony murder in connection with D’Vontaye Mitchell’s death in June 2024. However, Johnson-Carson pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor battery on Thursday.
Johnson-Carson’s attorney, Craig Robert Johnson, stated that the battery plea is related to a scuffle between the workers and Mitchell, emphasizing that Johnson-Carson bears no responsibility for Mitchell’s death. The district attorney’s office declined to comment on the plea deal, noting that the case is ongoing. Johnson-Carson could face up to nine months in prison when sentenced on September 3, compared to a potential maximum sentence of 15 years and nine months for the original felony murder charge.
According to investigators, Mitchell entered the hotel lobby and a confrontation ensued, leading to him being pinned to the ground by four hotel workers. Tragically, Mitchell stopped breathing before emergency responders arrived. The medical examiner attributed his death to suffocation and ruled it a homicide. Johnson maintained that Johnson-Carson’s actions did not contribute to Mitchell’s suffocation.
Legal proceedings are ongoing for the other individuals involved in the incident. Johnson-Carson’s plea agreement includes testifying against one of the security guards, Todd Erickson, if called as a witness. Two other workers have also agreed to testify as part of their own plea deals. The hotel management terminated all four workers following the incident.
The family’s attorneys have drawn comparisons between Mitchell’s death and the killing of George Floyd in 2020. The case underscores issues of race, as Mitchell was Black while the workers involved were a mix of Black and white individuals. Erickson is scheduled for trial in August on a charge of felony murder.
