INDIANAPOLIS – In a significant development in a case that shocked the Bloomington community, Billie Davis has pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime charge for the January 2023 stabbing of a Chinese-American Indiana University student on a city bus.
Davis, who faced allegations of stabbing the victim multiple times in the head with a pocket knife, entered her guilty plea in federal court. The plea agreement comes after months of legal proceedings, including discussions about Davis’ competency to stand trial.
The incident occurred on January 11, 2023, and was captured on the bus’s surveillance system. According to court documents, Davis admitted to targeting the victim because of her Chinese ethnicity, reportedly telling police, “One less person to blow up our country.”
Initially charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, and battery with a deadly weapon at the state level, Davis now faces up to 10 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 3, where the court will also determine the amount of restitution Davis must pay the victim.
The case took a turn in April when a federal grand jury indicted Davis, leading to the dismissal of the state charges. This shift highlighted the severe nature of the crime under federal hate crime statutes, which target offenses motivated by bias against race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.
Throughout the legal process, questions arose about Davis’ mental state. However, a forensic psychiatrist deemed her competent in February to understand court proceedings and assist in her defense.
