Rush City prison death: Man charged with killing his cellmate in 2025

RUSH CITY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man is charged with killing his cellmate in Minnesota's Rush City Correctional Facility last year.

William Davon Hall, 29, is charged with second-degree murder for the death of 40-year-old Stephen Scott Washington. 

READ MORE: Death of inmate at Rush City prison investigated as possible homicide

Rush City prison death 

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The criminal complaint states that correction officers responded to an alarm just before 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 9, 2025. 

Officers then found Stephen Scott Washington, 40, unconscious on the floor of the cell with "significant facial injuries and not breathing", according to the complaint.

Paramedics then arrived and began resuscitation efforts. The complaint states they also noted Washington's face, head and neck were swollen. Washington was declared dead at 2:07 p.m. 

William Davon Hall, the cellmate, was then removed from the cell. 

Investigators noted that Hall had no significant visible injuries to his body or face, but the back of his right hand and knuckles were extremely red and swollen. His white shirt had blood spatters, and he also had a light scrape on his elbow and forearm.

The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office found Washington had blunt force injuries to his head and neck, severe facial swelling, contusions and lacerations, and other injuries consistent with a violent assault. The cause of death was listed as blunt force and possible asphyxial injuries, and the manner of death was ruled homicide.

Timeline:

Surveillance footage showed Washington and Hall were placed in cell 230 for the first time that morning. 

At 12:44 p.m., Washington was seen in the cell wearing shorts, and Hall returned wearing a white shirt and gray pants. 

The door was shut and locked. 

Between 12:49 p.m. and 12:56 p.m., video showed rapid movement through the cell window, consistent with a physical fight. Hall was seen standing and at times leaning down, making punching motions. 

From 1:00 p.m. to 1:06 p.m., Hall covered the cell window with a white material, blocking the camera’s view. 

At 1:26 p.m., the cell’s internal alarm was activated and officers responded. 

Multiple inmates in nearby cells told investigators they saw Washington and Hall start fighting, at first mutually. 

They said Washington seemed to tire and Hall gained the upper hand, continuing to hit Washington as he sat on the bunk. 

One inmate said Hall got angrier after losing a dreadlock during the fight. 

Alarm buttons in several surrounding cells were also activated. Hall told investigators he and Washington were put in the cell after Hall’s release from segregation and did not know each other. 

He said they got along until a disagreement about keeping the cell clean led to a fight. 

Hall described the fight as on and off, and said Washington went unconscious during it. 

Hall said he yelled for help and showed investigators his "mushy" right hand and a scratch on his ear, also noting he was missing a dreadlock. 

He declined medical attention, according to the complaint. 

Hall's previous convictions

Dig deeper:

Hall was previously convicted of 2nd degree murder for fatal Brooklyn Park shooting in 2020.

The Source: This story uses information from a criminal complaint filed in Chisago County Court.