William J. Bell, Murder, Indiana 2017

TERRE HAUTE, Indiana – In a shocking turn of events, two inmates were sentenced for their roles in the murder of a fellow inmate at the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institute.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, William J. Bell, 39, was sentenced to life without parole for first-degree murder on an unspecified date in 2017. Bell entered the cell of a fellow inmate on June 18, 2011, and stabbed him to death.

Bell’s cellmate, Lenard Dixon, 35, was sentenced to 156 months (13 years) for one count of accessory after the fact. Dixon concealed evidence of the crime, including the murder weapon.

The evidence presented at trial revealed that Bell had an extensive criminal history, with nine prior convictions accumulated across Illinois, Arkansas, and Kansas. At the time of the murder, he was serving a nearly 8-year sentence for carjacking.

Dixon also had several convictions in Kansas and was serving a 35-year sentence for robbery at the time of the murder.

U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler stated, ‘Protecting all citizens from senseless violence is important. We owe it to the employees of our federal prisons to do what we can to keep their work places as safe and secure as possible.’

‘Even those who reside in our prison system deserve a safe living environment,’ Minkler added. ‘One person’s refusal to obey the law should not result in the end of another person’s life.’

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will McCoskey and Matthew Brookman prosecuted the case for the government, with Dixon’s sentence to be served consecutive to his current sentence.

The Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institute is a maximum-security prison located in Terre Haute, Indiana. The prison is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and houses approximately 1,100 inmates.

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