Federal Inmate Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Cellmate in Ocala

Photo byLarry FarronUnsplash

Ocala, FL. - In Ocala, Florida, federal inmate David Lee Bishop, 50, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his cellmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex. Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II handed down the sentence based on Bishop's conviction for second degree murder. Bishop pleaded guilty just days before his scheduled federal jury trial.

According to court documents, Bishop used a torn bedsheet on February 3, 2019, to strangle his cellmate to death. After the murder, Bishop called his mother, admitting to the crime, stating it was intentional. When prison guards discovered the body, Bishop confessed immediately. At the time of the offense, Bishop was already serving a life sentence.

The case was jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Belkis H. Crockett, Tyrie K. Boyer, Robert E. Bodnar, Jr., and Michael P. Felicetta.

For Immediate Release: U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida