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The Tragic Story of the Lester Street Murders: 15 Facts You Need to Know

Sadly, 15 years have passed since Jessie Dotson murdered six people, including his two young nephews, in a Lester Street residence. One of Memphis鈥� most stunning crimes ever, it was. The killings happened in March 2008.

Dotson, 35, was found guilty of murdering his brother Cecil, 30, at 722 Lester St. on March 2, 2008. After killing his brother he went ahead to murder witnesses Marissa Williams, 27, Shindri Roberson, 22, and Hollis Seals, 33. Unfortunately, he also fatally stabbed his brother’s children Cemario, 4, and Cecil II, 2. Dotson had previously served nearly 14 years in prison for a 1994 murder.

1. The Memphis 911 Dispatch Center Received a Distressing Call from a Resident

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On March 2, 2008, a distressed Memphis citizen dialed the 911 dispatch facility in Memphis. When the Memphis Police Department hurried to 722 Lester Street, they found a situation so horrifying that several officials were inconsolable.

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2. Police Discovered Six Fatalities

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Nine bodies were discovered by police scattered throughout the brick ranch-style house. There were six fatalities.

Cecil Dotson, a 30-year-old father, was shot five times: once in the head, once each in the chest, neck, and left leg. Marissa Williams, his girlfriend who was 27 years old, was shot five times. The family, including their kids, resided at 722 Lester Street. When the shooting happened, their guests were there. Hollis Seals, age 33, and Shindri Robinson, age 22, perished. They fired three shots at Hollis and four at Shindri.

3. The Killer had No Mercy for the Kids

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The deaths of Cemario, age 4, and Cecil II, age 2 were shocking too. Their bodies were found in the bedrooms at the back of the house. Cemario had a serious blunt-force injury and a chest stab wound. They stabbed young Cecil II seven times, leaving him with serious head wounds.

4. Three Kids Survived the Stabs

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The residence was also where the three remaining kids, Ceniyah, 2 months old, Cedric, 5, and CJ, 9, were discovered. A 4 陆-inch blade was lodged in CJ鈥檚 skull when they discovered him cowering in a bathtub. Multiple stab wounds caused Cedric and Ceniyah to lose consciousness for a considerable amount of time. Thank goodness, the kids made it.

5. Police Believed the Deaths were Gang-related because of the Extreme Amount of Violence

The authorities thought that the family was targeted. However, they were unsure of the motivation for the possible strike on the family. Authorities believed the incident to be a 鈥渂lackout鈥� since the attackers attempted to kill everyone inside the home. Assassinating the entire family is referred to as a 鈥渂lackout鈥� by gang members. Cecil and his brother Jesse both belonged to neighborhood street gangs. After the murders, Jesse admitted it in a statement to the police.

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6. When CJ Revealed who the Murderer was, the Case Took an Unexpected Turn

CJ provided information for the detectives when he came during their investigation after his operation. In addition to attacking his brother and sister, he revealed to them who killed his family.

The 9-year-old boy revealed that his uncle Jessie Dotson was behind the heartless incident. The information received shocked the authorities. They had the murderer under surveillance.

7. The Killer was Charged with Disorderly Behaviour after He Threatened His Mother at the Age of 15

He threatened his mother and was charged with disorderly behavior in 1990 when he was 15 years old. He assaulted a 13-year-old in the face a month later and threatened further damage if the child didn鈥檛 bring him $25 the next day.

When his mother intervened to prevent him from assaulting his brother in 1991, he was detained for disorderly conduct after smashing a door and punching many holes in the walls of their house. He made death threats against his mother, prompting a call to the police.

8. The Killer had Served 18 Years in Prison Before the Murders

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Halle Cox was killed during a botched drug deal, and Jessie admitted responsibility in November 1994 and was given an 18-year prison term for her second-degree murder. On August 27, 2007, he was granted parole, and on January 26, 2008, that parole came to an end. He murdered six people鈥攖wo of them children鈥攊n less than 90 days after that and made attempts to kill three more children. They included six members of his family.

9. Jessie Had Threatened His Brother with a Gun before the Killings

On January 29, 2008, three days after his state parole expired, Jessie was playing cards with Cecil and a few other guys at Cecil鈥檚 home at 722 Lester Street. After the game, Jessie donned Cecil鈥檚 leather coat and made an effort to exit the room while wearing it. Jessie drew a revolver and refused to remove the coat until Cecil stopped him. In his car, Cecil followed Jessie to the Goodwill Village Apartments but couldn鈥檛 find him. The police were notified by Cecil about the event, but Jessie was not detained.

10. Jessie Had an Argument with his Brother that Resulted in Killings

Jessie acknowledged he was the only one responsible for the vicious assaults when police questioned him about the killings and played the audio of his nephew鈥檚 confession. He claimed that during their disagreement, Jessie shot his brother Cecil when Cecil went for his shotgun beneath the couch.

He killed the other adults in the room who had seen the incident. It鈥檚 unclear if the altercation that resulted in Jessie killing Cecil and his family in March had anything to do with the jacket that was taken in January.

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11. Jessie Dotson Admitted Committing the Horrifying Killings of His Mother

Dotson admitted committing the horrifying killings to Memphis Police Lt. Toney Armstrong and his own mother. Jessie admitted to killing his nieces and nephews when investigators let his mother question him about what had transpired. He claimed that he killed them since they witnessed the incident. However, he later changed his story.

12. He was Charged with Six First Degree Murder Counts

Six first-degree murder counts and three attempted murder charges were brought against Dotson, and he was found guilty of all of them. Because of those convictions, he was given 120 years in prison and six death sentences for attempting to kill his niece and nephews.

13. A Jury Took less than 90 minutes to Convict Jessie on Six Counts of Murder

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In less than 90 minutes, a jury found Jessie guilty of six charges of murder and handed her the death penalty. Only three pictures from that horrific day were shown to the jurors. The jury determined that Jesse was responsible for the killings after considering the testimonies of the living children and further evidence. For attempting to kill the children, he received six death sentences and an additional 120 years in prison.

14. The Massacre Drew Nationwide Media Coverage

The incident received widespread media attention and was covered by A&E鈥檚 The First 48. Cecil Dotson belonged to the Gangster Disciples, while Jessie was a Kitchen Crip, per court documents.

15. His Execution Has Still not Taken Place

The Tennessee Department of Corrections Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville is where Jessie Dotson is now being held on Death Row. As of 2023, his execution has still not taken place.

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