Lester Street Massacre

[loulou.]

I watched that episode of the first 48 not really sure what could be edited from the confession he gave! he admitted it to his mother the police, also it was one of the children that miraculously survived his murder spree that pointed the finger at him! The police were struggling with this until that little child spoke up. The whole family were placed under protection as they feared it was gang related. At the end even his own sister said he wasnt right when he came out of prison! I think the whole episode cut bits and all should be admissable in court as hard solid evidence!  His defence team are going to have their work cut out defending this very obvious murderer

[Jeff1857]

Defense lawyers for a man accused of killing six people and critically injuring three children on Lester Street told a judge this morning that they want access to the children before their client’s capital murder trial in September.

Normally the defense is allowed to contact prosecution witnesses, although it is up to the witnesses whether to speak with the defense.

In this case, the children now are 7 and 12. The third child was just 4 months old when the incident occurred in March of 2008.

The oldest child identified the defendant, his uncle Jessie Dotson, as the lone attacker.

State prosecutor Ray Lepone told Criminal Court Judge James Beasley Jr. that the children’s guardian has expressed concern about the children’s mental well-being if they were to be questioned by representatives of Dotson.

Beasley told defense attorney Gerald Skahan to discuss the matter with Lepone and that if an agreement cannot be reached he will make a ruling in two weeks.

Dotson, 35, told police he killed his brother with a shotgun during an argument and then began eliminating witnesses. He faces the death penalty if convicted.

The capital murder trial is set for September in Memphis after a jury is brought in from Nashville/Davidson County.

The four adult victims -- Cecil Dotson, 30; Marissa Rene Williams, 27; Hollis Seals, 33; and Shindri Roberson, 22 -- each were shot multiple times.

The two child victims -- Cemario Dotson, 4, and Cecil Dotson II, 2, both sons of Cecil -- were stabbed and beaten to death.

Three other children were stabbed and seriously injured, including Ceniyah Dotson, Cedric Dotson and Cecil Dotson Jr.

Defendant Jessie Dotson, the uncle of the five children, told police he killed his brother during an argument and then began eliminating witnesses..

Beasley also said this morning that his ruling last month banning prosecutors from showing jurors Dotson’s taped confession shown on national television was not meant to be a blanket ban.

He said the tape from the A&E true-crime program “The First 48” could be shown under certain circumstances depending on how the trial unfolds.

Defense attorneys say the tape was edited by Hollywood and that portions that have been discarded may have been favorable to the defense.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jul/28/defense-wants-talk-child-victims-lester-street-mur/?partner=yahoo_feeds

[loulou.]

i seriously could not work within the courts when it comes to the justice system. if i had to be anything it would be a detective, i know everyone has the right to a fair trial but some just stink with such obvious guilt such as this case

[loulou.]

from the scene of the crime, to the police departments charging them (in any country) and the police know in this day and age there has to be concrete and harder than concrete evidence, when it gets to court suddenly there are all these issues and all the appeals and for the families of the victims and for the surving victims of crimes, it just makes it so damn frustrating. It took a blink of an eye for these perpertrators to commit the crimes, yet years to prove they did it in so many cases. Thats even with solid DNA evidence.  I really do not understand it.............

[Angelstorm]

What I want to know is what exactly the defence hopes to get out of a child who was only 4 months old at the time of the murders?  What a crock.