Jessie Dotson

Case details

Jessie Dotson was convicted of the shooting murders of his brother, his brother’s girlfriend, and two other adults, and of the fatal stabbings of his two nephews. Three other children were stabbed but survived.

Timeline

• Jan. 8, 1994 — Halle Cox discovered he had bought shavings of soap after purchasing drugs from Jessie Dotson.
• May 5, 1994 — Police arrested Jessie Dotson for the killing of Halle Cox.
• Nov. 21, 1994 — Jessie Dotson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of Halle Cox and received an 18-year sentence.
• Jan. 26, 1994 — Jessie Dotson was released on parole; (parole date in the timeline material was also given as Jan. 26, 2008 for the parole expiry referenced elsewhere).
• Aug. 27, 2007 — Jessie Dotson was released on parole.
• Jan. 26, 2008 — Parole and sentence expired.
• March 2, 2008 — During an argument with his brother at 722 Lester, Jessie Dotson shot Cecil Dewayne Dotson; he then killed others in the house, including children, in an attempt to cover up the shooting. The victims included Cecil Dotson (30), Marissa Rene Williams (27), Hollis Seals (33), Shindri Roberson (22), Cemario Dotson (4), and Cecil Dotson II (2). Cecil Dotson Jr. (about 9), Cedric Dotson (about 6), and Ceniyah Dotson (about 2 months old) survived after being attacked with a knife.
• March 3, 2008 — The three children survived being shot and stabbed at 722 Lester St.; Jessie Dotson’s brother, three other adults, and two children were found shot and stabbed at 722 Lester St.
• March 8, 2008 — Jessie Dotson confessed after one of the surviving children identified him, “Uncle Junior,” as the lone attacker.
• Sep. 28, 2010 — The jury began considering the case after emotionally grueling testimony was referenced in trial-opening coverage.
• Oct. 11, 2010 — Jessie Dotson was convicted on all counts.
• Oct. 12, 2010 — Jessie Dotson received six death penalties. Judge James Beasley Jr. also imposed 40 years consecutive for each of three counts of attempted first-degree murder.
• Nov. 8, 2010 — Jessie Dotson received an additional 120 years in prison.
• March 2, 2012 — Jessie Dotson’s execution date was set for this date.

The offence

Jessie Dotson killed six people in a Memphis home at 722 Lester St. and attacked three other children who survived.

After a day of drinking, Jessie Dotson shot his brother Cecil Dotson in the head during an argument in the early morning hours of March 2, 2008. He then went after everyone else in the house using two guns, boards, and several knives. He also attempted to eliminate witnesses.

Cecil Dotson’s girlfriend, Marissa Williams, and Hollis Seals and Shindri Roberson were killed. Jessie Dotson also killed Cecil Dotson’s children Cemario Dotson and Cecil Dotson II. Three additional children—Cecil Dotson Jr., Cedric Dotson, and Ceniyah Dotson—were stabbed but survived.

Cecil Dotson Jr., described as “CJ,” was found in a bathtub with a 4 1/2-inch knife blade lodged in his skull.

Jurors convicted Jessie Dotson of three counts of attempted first-degree murder for beating and stabbing three other children, including two who told jurors that “Uncle Jessie” was the lone attacker.

Investigation

A special-needs fund established for the children two years earlier by First Baptist Church on Broad raised $139,000 and was placed in a trust in Probate Court.

After the killings, surviving children identified Jessie Dotson as the attacker. Jessie Dotson confessed to police and to his mother days after the bodies were found. A police affidavit stated that one surviving child told police Jessie Dotson was responsible for the killings.

Police Director Larry Godwin said:

“It is our belief that when Jessie left the home, he believed everyone in the home was dead. But as we all know, by the grace of God, three children survived.”

When asked if he was certain that Dotson acted alone in the killings, Godwin gave an ambiguous answer:

“We are very confident in where we are, but again, we will continue the investigation,”

Arrest

Jessie Dotson’s brother and multiple victims were found shot and stabbed at 722 Lester St. on March 3, 2008, after police were led to the family member who confessed.

Trial

Jessie Dotson was charged with six counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder.

During the trial, jurors heard more than two weeks of emotionally grueling testimony. The jury selected in Nashville deliberated less than two hours before agreeing to sentences.

Jessie Dotson claimed gang members were responsible for the attack, but jurors concluded that Jessie Dotson committed the crimes.

Prosecutor Ray Lepone said:

“CJ solved it,”
“He had the courage to come in here and point out his uncle.”

Prosecutors said the massacre was marked as one of the city’s worst mass murders.

Sentencing

Judge James Beasley Jr. imposed the maximum sentence and stated that, in his opinion, Jessie Dotson should never be allowed to walk the streets of society again.

Beasley said:

“In my 40 years of being in the criminal justice system in Shelby County, I've seen a lot of cases and I don't know of anything more (legally) aggravating than this,”
“I guess we're used to seeing adults (as victims), but it is uncommon for us to see children get killed, to see children mangled and butchered like this.”
“In my opinion, Mr. Dotson should never be allowed to walk the streets of society again. He's given up that right.”

In imposing the maximum sentence, Beasley gave Jessie Dotson 40 years consecutive for each of three counts of attempted first-degree murder.

Prosecutors Ray Lepone and Reginald Henderson said the additional sentences were more than legal window dressing:

“These are nine separate cases with nine separate victims and we're using every legal measure to make sure he never walks the streets again,”
and: “Each victim deserves a sentencing hearing. He brutalized those children and left them to die in that house.”

Judge James Beasley Jr. set a November 12 sentencing date for the three attempted first-degree murder convictions involving the children who survived their stabbings.

During the sentencing hearing, Beasley set Dotson’s execution date for March 2, 2012, four years to the day when the six people were shot and stabbed to death.

Beasley told Dotson:

“May God have mercy on your soul,”

Lead defense attorney Gerald Skahan said:

“He was disappointed, but not surprised,”
“When the jury came back with the quick guilty verdict, he knew (the death penalty) was probably a foregone conclusion.”

Defense attorneys had asked for life in prison without parole.

Appeals

Automatic appeals were referenced as continuing for years.

Outcome

Jessie Dotson received six death penalties on October 12, 2010, one for each life taken in the March 2, 2008 attack. The jury also imposed three counts of attempted first-degree murder sentencing of 40 years consecutive each. On November 8, 2010, Jessie Dotson received an additional 120 years in prison for beating and stabbing three children who survived.

Aftermath

A Dotson Children’s Benefit Fund was set up for continued social and financial support. Donations could be made at any BankTennessee branch.

Ida Anderson said:

“People have contributed to our needs, but our lives have been turned upside down,”
“The children have undergone surgeries and have more to come. There's still scarring.”

One of the survivors, 11-year-old Cecil Dotson Jr., was described as helping persuade the jury that Jessie Dotson, not members of a gang, committed the crimes.

Other details

Prior murder conviction and earlier sentence

Jessie Dotson was convicted in 1994 of second-degree murder of Halle Cox after an apparent drug deal gone bad.

Police said Halle Cox, who discovered he had bought shavings of soap, argued with Jessie Dotson. During the conflict, Jessie Dotson killed Halle Cox.

Jessie Dotson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and spent nearly 14 years in state prison before being released.

Events and conduct before 2008

Arrest records described a “volatile” teenage home at 600 S. Lauderdale with conflict involving neighbors and siblings.

In 1990, at age 15, Jessie Dotson was charged with disorderly conduct for making threats against his mother as she tried to discipline him.

A month later, he was charged with assault after a 13-year-old told his parents Jessie Dotson punched him in the face and threatened to “put him in the hospital” if the teen did not bring him $25 the next day.

In fall 1991, police arrested Jessie Dotson for disorderly conduct after his mother told police he came home and wanted to fight his brother. The arrest report stated:

“After placing her son in bedroom, locking the door, (Dotson) broke door open and punched several large holes in wall,”
“(Dotson) then placed his finger in mother's face, telling her he was going to kill her.”

Police said Jessie Dotson was loud and angry when officers arrived and refused to calm down while still wanting to fight brother.

Police charged Jessie Dotson again in 1992 with disorderly conduct after he cussed at a neighbor during an argument and then threw two beer bottles into her apartment.

On Dec. 13, 1991, six days before his 17th birthday, police pulled over a car Jessie Dotson was riding in. An officer saw a .20-gauge sawed-off shotgun and a .38-caliber pistol on the floorboards.

Four months after his 1994 arrest, on May 5, 1994, police arrested Jessie Dotson for the murder of Halle Cox.

Relationship with his brother before March 2, 2008

Jessie Dotson was released and rekindled his relationship with brother Cecil, who worked as a maintenance man at an apartment building and rented the Lester Street house.

On Jan. 29, three days after Cecil’s release from state prison, Jessie Dotson, Cecil, and several other men were playing cards at Cecil’s home. After the card game, Jessie Dotson put on Cecil’s leather jacket and began to walk out. Cecil tried to stop him, and Jessie Dotson drew a semi-automatic pistol and challenged his brother to take the coat back from him. Cecil followed him in his car to the Goodwill Village Apartments in North Memphis but eventually lost him.

Police said Cecil reported to police that Jessie Dotson robbed and threatened him, but Jessie Dotson was not charged with a crime.

A later argument at 722 Lester led to the March 2, 2008 killings.

People named in connection with the offence

Victims killed included Cecil Dotson (30), Marissa Rene Williams (27), Hollis Seals (33), Shindri Roberson (22), Cemario Dotson (4), and Cecil Dotson II (2). Victims attacked but survived included Cecil Dotson Jr. (about 9), Cedric Dotson (about 6), and Ceniyah Dotson (about 2 months old).

Jessie Dotson’s mother was identified as a key prosecution witness. Erica Smith and Cheryl Green were identified as relatives connected to the victims. Ida Anderson was identified as their grandmother who was raising the surviving children.

Death penalty hearing details

Jurors returned the death penalties after finding aggravating circumstances for each victim, including that Jessie Dotson had a prior second-degree murder conviction and posed a great risk of death to two or more others when he killed Cecil.

Prosecutors also cited that the murder of Marissa Williams was to eliminate her as a witness and that Jessie Dotson committed mass murder of three or more people within a 48-month period.

For Cecil Dotson II, prosecutors cited that the victim was less than 13 years old and that the murder was heinous, atrocious and cruel and involved abuse well beyond that necessary to cause death.

Prosecutors stated that the children were repeatedly stabbed and beaten with boards.

Mitigation presented at sentencing

Mitigation expert Glori Shettles testified that Jessie Dotson came from a broken family that moved frequently, was a disciplinary problem at home and at school, was an eighth-grade dropout, and was 19 when he went to prison for 14 years for killing a man.

She said:

“There was a lot of movement, a lot of instability,”
“He repeated the fourth grade twice, not because his grades were bad, but because he missed so much school. ... There was an absence of a stable home life. That was very important.”

She said that during his 14 years in prison, he had one family visit and a few phone calls.

Trial demeanor comments

Prosecutors Reginald Henderson and Damon Griffin noted that Jessie Dotson’s courtroom demeanor changed when he testified on cross-examination Saturday. Griffin said:

“I think we saw the real Jessie on Saturday,”
“You saw some anger and some rage. That was the real Jessie. He couldn't hold it in.”