Joshua T. Mebane, a 29-year-old from Silver Spring, Maryland, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the first-degree murder of his cellmate, Michael Tucker, at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. Mebane entered a guilty plea on October 23, 2024.
Court documents reveal Mebane was incarcerated in Terre Haute in 2016 while serving a 45-year sentence for a prior first-degree murder conviction in the District of Columbia. Additionally, he had other convictions in Maryland from 2012, resulting in multiple life sentences for murder and attempted murder.
The incident occurred just two days after Tucker moved into Mebane’s cell on January 26, 2016. Upon being summoned for a medical appointment, Mebane confessed to officers, “My cellie is dead… I killed my cellie on Wednesday.” Tucker was found lifeless in his bed, and medical attempts to revive him failed. The death was attributed to asphyxiation, classified as a homicide by the medical examiner.
“This life sentence reflects our office’s commitment to justice for all victims, including those who are incarcerated in federal correctional facilities," stated John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. "I sincerely hope that the completion of this prosecution brings some measure of closure and peace to Mr. Tucker’s family.”
Dominique Evans, FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge, remarked, “This kind of violence is inexcusable, and the sentence should serve as a powerful reminder there is no place in our society for such hate.”
A Bureau of Prisons spokesperson added, “The safety and security of our facilities will always be the FBOP’s top priority in our mission to ensure public safety.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Prisons, with the sentence delivered by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II. Acting U.S. Attorney Childress expressed gratitude to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle M. Sawa and Meredith Wood for their prosecution efforts.