Rock Island County, IL – A convicted murderer who escaped Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice custody in June has been apprehended in Davenport, Iowa, according to the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office. Johnell Lamont Smith III, who was convicted earlier this year in the 2020 killing of Danny Taylor in Milan, Illinois, was arrested Friday morning following a Davenport Police surveillance operation.
According to the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office, Davenport Police received multiple tips on Smith’s possible location and began monitoring a vehicle believed to be connected to him. Around 11:00 a.m., officers initiated a traffic stop. Two individuals allegedly fled from the vehicle on foot, and both were quickly detained. One of them was identified as Smith.
Smith was originally charged in April 2023 with home invasion and two counts of first-degree murder in connection with Taylor’s death. Following a jury trial, Smith was found guilty of two counts on April 4, 2025, and was sentenced to 35 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, with three years of mandatory supervised release.
On June 12, Smith was transported to the Illinois Youth Center in Harrisburg for holding, where he remained under the custody of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. Shortly afterward, he escaped custody, prompting a months-long multi-agency search involving Rock Island County deputies and Davenport Police.
Smith is now being held at the Scott County Jail in Iowa as authorities coordinate next steps.
The Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office thanked Davenport Police for their assistance and emphasized that further information will be released as the investigation continues.
