TERRE HAUTE, IN — Otha Don Watkins III, a 42-year-old inmate from Cairo, Illinois, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of involuntary manslaughter and possession of contraband in a federal prison.
The indictment relates to an incident on April 14, 2023, at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, where Watkins allegedly used an improvised knife to stab fellow inmate Carlos Shelton during a fight fatally.
The weapon, commonly known as a “shank,” was reportedly made from a metal piece sharpened at one end and wrapped in white cloth at the other, a contraband item posing severe risks within the prison environment.
Watkins, who was already serving a federal sentence at the time of the altercation, could face up to an additional 8 years in prison if convicted. The case continues under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons’ Special Investigation Services.