Murder convictions upheld in Lester St. case

Dotson in initial stages of appeals

Calling the evidence “more than sufficient,” a state appeals court Tuesday upheld the six first-degree murder verdicts and six death sentences against Jessie Dotson in the gruesome 2008 Lester Street mass-murder case.

In a 105-page opinion, the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals also upheld Dotson’s 120year sentence for the attempted murders of three of his nieces and nephew, including one who was found with a knife protruding from his head.

“The evidence established that the defendant shot the adult victims multiple times and then repeatedly stabbed and beat the young children, moving from room to room to do so,” Judge Alan Glenn of Memphis wrote for the three-judge panel. “The defendant altered the scene to make it appear as if the murders were drug or gang-related, moved bodies, disposed of or hid kitchen knives and handles, and collected the cartridge casings.”

Dotson, 34, who had a previ- ous murder conviction in 1994, is one of 80 inmates on Tennessee’s death row. He is in the initial stages of a 12-step state and federal court appellate procedure.

The crime that attracted national attention occurred March 2, 2008, in the small Binghamton home where the victims were men, women and children, including Dotson’s brother and his nieces and nephews, one who was just 4 months old.

While there was little physical evidence linking him to the crime, Dotson eventually confessed to the murders after a surviving 9-year-old told investigators that his uncle “Junior,” Dotson’s nickname, was the attacker.

The nationally syndicated true-crime program “The First 48” aired Dotson’s confession, in which he said he shot his brother during an argument and killed the others to cover up the crime.

Jurors, however, were not allowed to see that segment after defense attorneys successfully argued that it would be unfair to show jurors a taped confession that was recorded and edited for television. He also confessed to his mother.

Dotson testified that police bullied him into confessing to something he did not do and that he hid under a bed while men he believed to be gang members shot and stabbed the victims.

He said he never called police because he feared he, too, would be killed.

The four adult murder victims were shot multiple times, while the two children were beaten and stabbed to death.

They included the defendant’s brother, Cecil Dotson, 30, and his live-in girlfriend, Marissa Williams, 27; Hollis Seals, 33, and his girlfriend, Shindri Roberson, 22; Cemario Dotson, 4, and Cecil Dotson II, 2, both sons of Cecil Dotson.

The three surviving children, who were stabbed, cut and beaten with boards included Cecil Dotson Jr., 9; Cedric Dotson, 3; and Ceniyah Dotson, 4 months.