Violent Criminal Receives Extended Sentence Following Torture and Fatal Assault of Cellmate

TERRE HAUTE- Mitchell Gibson, 40, has been sentenced to 25 additional years in federal prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

According to court documents, Gibson was an inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, serving a 45-year sentence for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault of a Spouse by Strangling and Suffocation. Prior to his incarceration, Gibson subjected his wife, who was active duty miliary and nine weeks pregnant at the time, to a series of brutal assaults. In the middle of winter, he forced her out of their home without shoes, a jacket, or a blanket. The following day, he whipped her with a coaxial cable. Four days later, Gibson escalated the abuse, threatening to kill both her and their unborn child. Throughout the night, he choked her until she lost consciousness, kicked her repeatedly, burned her, and held a knife to her throat. She sustained extensive injuries, including full-body bruising, whip marks across her back, torso, and legs, bite marks on her neck, and second-degree burns. Despite a court-issued no-contact order, Gibson contacted his wife within days of his arrest and was subsequently detained again.

While serving his sentence Gibson shared a cell with Arthur Wheeler. During this time, Gibson subjected Wheeler to sadistic torture. Gibson also threatened Wheeler to prevent him from alerting prison staff.

Gibson later wrote letters to his wife and boasted to fellow inmates bragging about what he had done. As a result of Gibson’s actions, Wheeler suffered severe blunt force trauma to his chest, throat, ribs, and scrotum. On April 9, 2020, Wheeler died from the injuries inflicted by Gibson. Following Wheeler’s death, Gibson continued to correspond with his wife and other inmates about the incident.

Gibson has demonstrated a persistent pattern of violent and cruel behavior, with prior convictions for assault and false imprisonment involving his mother and former girlfriends.

“Mitchell Gibson has shown a disturbing capacity for violence and a complete disregard for human life and the law,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Murder robs the victim of so many chances, and, for a prison inmate such as Wheeler, that includes the chances to grow and rehabilitate. The pain endured by Mr. Wheeler’s family is immeasurable, and the loss they carry will never fully heal. My thoughts are with them as they navigate the weight of this loss.”

“The brutality of this crime is almost beyond comprehension, and this sentence holds the defendant fully accountable for such sadistic violence,” said Timothy J. O’Malley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Indianapolis. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying and stopping the most violent offenders, no matter the setting, so they can no longer harm others.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by Chief District Judge James R. Sweeney II.

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Karwoski, who prosecuted this case.

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