Danville Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Carjacking and Murder

PEORIA, Ill. - A Danville, Illinois, man, Kevin Marshall, 35, was sentenced on September 8, 2025, to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on four charges, including two charges related to the carjacking and murder of Daniel Walter in Danville on April 25, 2020, and two charges related to drug trafficking and carrying a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking. Marshall was also sentenced to an additional ten years for possessing a firearm as a felon.

At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce, the judge considered evidence from Marshall's August 2024 jury trial showing that after he was released from custody in January 2020, Marshall used a Taurus handgun to murder Walter at a rural home in Danville. The evidence at trial showed that Marshall lured Walter out of his truck around 4 a.m., and once they were in a concealed area between the home and detached garage, Marshall shot Walter four times at close range in the head and body. After initially leaving in Walter's truck, Marshall returned and shot Walter five more times in the head and face, even though Walter was already deceased, and took Walter's phone and wallet. After the murder, Marshall spent the summer of 2020 selling methamphetamine before his arrest on August 18, 2020. Forensic testing on a Taurus firearm seized during Marshall's arrest connected the gun to Walter's murder, as well as to a series of shootings in Danville in early 2020.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Marshall in August 2021, charging him with possessing a firearm as a felon. A superseding indictment including the same gun charge, as well as the charges related to the carjacking and murder of Walter, drug trafficking, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking, was returned by the grand jury in April 2023. The case went to trial from July 31 through August 7, 2024. During the trial, the evidence showed Marshall's extensive efforts to tamper with witnesses and obstruct the proceedings, including ordering others to delete Facebook records and forcing witnesses to draft documents falsely claiming responsibility for Marshall's own actions. Despite the obstruction, evidence of which was presented to the jury during the trial, the jury found Marshall guilty on all counts. Marshall has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshal's Service since his federal arrest on August 3, 2021.

Prior to this case, Marshall had been convicted of second-degree murder for the murder of Latifah Cross in Danville on May 21, 2013. In imposing four life sentences - one for each count of conviction - Judge Bruce noted both murders and said that the evidence from the case showed his involvement in other violence and tampering with witnesses, as well as a general lack of remorse. Judge Bruce said one of his major concerns was the need to protect the public from Marshall.

"The defendant's violent murder of Daniel Walter, along with his armed distribution of dangerous drugs in our community, show a chilling disregard for human life," said Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. "Our office is dedicated to pursing justice for victims of violence and to protecting our communities from those, like the defendant, who seek to sow harm. We are grateful to our federal and local law enforcement partners for their invaluable work on this case."

"I appreciate the commitment, diligent work, and collaboration of Danville Police officers and detectives, the Illinois State Police, federal agencies, Vermilion County State's Attorney's Office, and the U.S. Attorney's Office in bringing closure to this case and holding the convicted, Kevin Marshall, accountable for his actions," said Danville Chief of Police Christopher S. Yates. "We also must recognize the courage of the witnesses who stepped forward. It takes all of us to keep our community safer from predators and those who want to do others harm. Though the conviction and sentencing of Kevin Marshall does not erase the damage, pain, and suffering he caused, hopefully this can contribute further to the healing process for family and friends of Daniel Walter, as well as our community."

"This sentence holds Kevin Marshall accountable for his unforgivable crimes and the trail of violence and loss he left behind," said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Springfield Field Office, Christopher J. S. Johnson. "Our office and our partners worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. We hope it brings a measure of justice."

The Danville Police Department; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; Illinois State Police; the U.S. Marshals Service; Vermilion County (Illinois) Sheriff's Office; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives all took part in investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Freres and Eugene Miller represented the government in the prosecution, in cooperation with Vermilion County State's Attorney Jacqueline Lacy.