
A murder spree leaves 5 dead—once the killer was identified, would the motive be revealed? What he said shocked everyone.
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Delia D'Ambra
Some stories never make national headlines, but stories from small towns and coastal communities deserve recognition, too. I'm Kylie Lowe, host of Dark Down East, a true crime podcast that gives voice to victims through investigative journalism and powerful storytelling. Set in my home state of Maine and the greater New England area, it's my goal to dig through the archives to bring the stories of the people at the heart of these cases to light.
Lesie Rainey
Let.
Delia D'Ambra
Listen to Dark down east wherever you get your podcasts.
Lesie Rainey
Oh, Gekko, I just love being able to file a claim in under two.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Minutes with a Geico app.
Lesie Rainey
Could you sign it?
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Sign what?
Lesie Rainey
The app. Yeah, sure. Oh, it rubbed off the screen when I touched it. Could you sign it again?
Scott Weinberger
Anything to help, I suppose.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Get more than just savings.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Get more with geico.
Delia D'Ambra
Hi, everyone. I'm investigative journalist and park enthusiast Delia d'.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Ambra.
Delia D'Ambra
And every week on my podcast, Park Predators, I take you into the heart of our world's most stunning locations to uncover what sinister crimes have unfolded in these serene settings. From unsolved murders to chilling disappearances. Each Tuesday, we dive deep into the details of cases that will leave you knowing sometimes the most beautiful places hide the darkest secrets. Listen to Park Predators now wherever you listen to podcasts.
Scott Weinberger
I've crossed a defendant before in trial, but this was something completely different. Looking in his eyes was also so scary because he then looked at me and said, my name is Michael Myers and I'm a serial killer. And I was like, I'm sorry, what?
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
I'm Scott Weinberger, investigative journalist and former deputy sheriff.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
I'm Anna Sega Nicolasi, former New York City homicide prosecutor and host of Investigation Discovery's True Conviction.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
And this is Anatomy of Murder.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Memphis, Tennessee, is an iconic southern city nestled along the banks of the mighty Mississippi. It's known as Home of the Blues, deep fried Southern cooking, and of course, Graceland, the home of Memphis favorite son, Elvis Presley.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
But like any big city, Memphis also struggles with its own share of big city issues, namely, unemployment, drugs, and the violent crime that often goes with it.
Lesie Rainey
I love Memphis. I've lived here my whole life, except when I was in school. It is a very challenging place to be a prosecutor because there is a lot of crime.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
That's the voice of Lesie Rainey, the chief prosecutor in the domestic violence unit in Shelby county, where part of Memphis is located. We're also joined by Shelby County ADA Regina Lucas, who. Who shares a unique relationship with Lesie.
Scott Weinberger
I actually interned here at the District Attorney's office, and I was actually Lesie's intern. And now she is my boss.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Both Lesie and Regina are well aware of the challenges that plague a city like Memphis, including a persistently high homicide rate. But as Lessie explains, those challenges are also what gives both detectives and prosecutors here such a strong sense of mission.
Lesie Rainey
I love Memphis, and I feel like part of the reason I have enjoyed my job is that it is a very straightforward way to try to make the city where I was born and where I grew up a better place.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
But even so, nothing could have prepared either of them for the shocking wave of violence that swept through Lessee's hometown beginning in the fall of 2019.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
It was truly a reign of terror that began with a single gunshot claimed for five lives, including that of an unborn child, and ended with the bombshell realization that their city might be in the grips of a serial killer.
Scott Weinberger
I think this case would is definitely, you know, one of my most important cases and something that will stick with me for a really long time.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
It all started on a night in November 2019. Gunfire erupted in front of the South Memphis Market, a neighborhood grocer a few miles from downtown and just a short drive north of Graceland. Here's Regina describing the police call out to the scene.
Scott Weinberger
So the police got a call to the South Memphis Market, and it was a shooting call, and that's where they found Divyan Parker, who was shot in the back of the head. And he was laying on the front right in front of the door.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
It was clear from his head wound that Divion had died instantly at the scene. He was just 18 years old.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Deviant was a recent high school graduate who had just started a job training program. His family described him as quiet but friendly and deeply loyal to the people in his life.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
And as we've explained, detectives from Memphis PD were not unfamiliar with violent crime of this nature. Sadly, young men losing their lives to gun violence was an all too common occurrence in parts of Memphis. But even from the beginning, there seemed to be something very different about this case.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
For one, it didn't appear that Divyan had been robbed, as his wallet was still with him. And people nearby, including employees in the market, did not report hearing any arguing preceding the shooting, which also seemed to rule out the possibility that this was the result of a fight or some escalating confrontation.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Clearly, there were not going to be any easy answers, but luckily there was CCTV footage.
Scott Weinberger
They ended up getting video from the store where they could see two people approaching the store who were like, in hoodies, and you couldn't really see their face because it was kind of dark out and the hoodies were kind of covering their face.
Lesie Rainey
Divyan Parker is just kind of standing in the parking lot, and as you watch the video, he's talking to some people, and they're all just kind of milling around, and he's just kind of hanging out, minding his own business. And then you see these two people come and the shooter comes up right behind him and puts the gun just right up to the back of his head and fires. There's no hesitation. There's no conversation. And then he falls down and the shooter and the other person leave.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
The shooter gave no warnings and showed no mercy. As Lessie explains, it was clear that Divion never even saw it coming.
Lesie Rainey
It's really hard to watch because he is looking the other direction. The shooter comes up right behind him and shoots him just point blank in the back of the head. There's no conversation. There's no interaction between the two. It's just an execution.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
The video confirmed what detectives had first suspected, that this was not a robbery or a fight that erupted in gun violence. But what they did not expect was the murder appeared to be both premeditated and personal.
Lesie Rainey
It's not like these two people got into an argument and somebody pulled a gun. They didn't talk. He's just standing there. The shooter comes up behind him and just shoots him directly in the back of the head and leaves. It could not have been more cold blooded or more planned in advance.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
According to his family, Divion had no criminal background, no affiliation with gangs or narcotics. So there really was no reason why he would have been an obvious target of this kind of violence.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
But obviously someone had singled him out. So police began to pull as much video footage as they could from the surrounding area to see if they could get a better look at the two hooded assailants.
Scott Weinberger
So they started to canvas the neighborhoods and they started getting videos throughout the neighborhood. And so they started piecing together different videos of the two men running throughout the neighborhood.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
They never got a clean look at their faces, but one of the men was wearing red shoes and jeans with some distinctive lettering on the sides. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Unsurprisingly, witnesses from the market where Divion was shot were hesitant to cooperate with police. But investigators were able to get a lead from an anonymous caller to the crime stopper's tip line.
Scott Weinberger
Someone called in and said that the person responsible for shooting Devian Parker, it was over a TV being stolen, and the tipster stated that the person responsible for shooting him was Joshua Dotson, tipped.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
To the name of the possible shooter. Police wasted no time in tracking down a photo of the potential suspect. And the fastest way to do that, an officer's best friend, Social media.
Scott Weinberger
On Joshua Dotson's Facebook, they see him wearing black ripped jeans and bright red shoes that were seen in the videos that were taken from that night when he was running away from the shooting.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
So one day after Divion's murder, Memphis PD had identified his possible killer. And getting him in custody actually proved easier than they expected because as Regina explains, Dotson was on probation from an earlier crime and had a hard time avoiding the attention of police.
Scott Weinberger
Joshua Dotson ends up getting arrested for his violation of probation warrant. So he's taken into custody only unrelated at that time. So while he's in custody, the investigation is still pending.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
In the meantime, detectives questioned the two other important players in this crime. Dot's potential accomplice, who was seen in the video fleeing the scene, and Dotson's girlfriend, whose stolen television seemed to be at least partly the motive. At least that's what was being said behind this brutal murder.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Dotson's accomplice was quick to lay the blame squarely on on him.
Scott Weinberger
He is cooperative and he does speak with them. They show him the video of the shooting and he identifies Dotson as a shooter. He also identifies himself in the back while they're running up on him.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
But he also claimed that he didn't know Dotson's intentions as they'd approached their target.
Scott Weinberger
He said that he didn't know why he shot him at the time. That's what he told them. He then went to Jamisha's house after the shooting, but that's really about it. And they, that he, they sold the gun on the street and they threw away their clothes.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Next in the interview room was Dotson's girlfriend, 19 year old Jamiesha Kofsu.
Scott Weinberger
And they show her a video. They ask her if she knows anyone in this video. And she points out the shooter and says that's JD known as Joshua Dotson. They ask her how does she know that's him? And she says, he told me.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
And just like that, Dotson's girlfriend told police that he'd admitted to Divion's murder only hours after the shooting. Although now Dodson wasn't admitting anything.
Scott Weinberger
They did try to talk to him and he refused to speak to them.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
And so detectives had video of the shooting, video of the perpetrator fleeing the scene and at least three different witnesses naming Joshua Dotson as the shooter, who happens to already be in police custody on a separate crime. Now, I would think that prosecutors would be feeling pretty confident about wrapping up this case and getting justice for Divion's murder. But it didn't turn out to be that simple.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
It certainly wasn't quick. Dotson was in custody, so law enforcement did have some luxury of time because he wasn't a threat to the public. And it then allowed the time needed to see if people naming Dodson would be willing to testify. If a trial was needed down the road, prosecutors always need to keep in mind that we only get one shot.
Lesie Rainey
We knew probably who did it, but we didn't have quite enough to charge it. I mean, we're pretty careful about the level of evidence that we need before we charge out a first degree murder like this.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
It was clear from the video and the witness statements that Joshua Dotson was a dangerous man, but investigators still had no idea just what he was capable of.
Lesie Rainey
And of course, for the first four months he was in custody. And so we didn't have that urgency of, you know, get this dangerous person off the street. He was off the street. And so I think they were just trying to build their case without realizing that the minute he got out, he was gonna just keep doing it.
Scott Weinberger
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Delia D'Ambra
Hi everyone. I'm investigative journalist and park enthusiast Delia d'. Ambra. And every week on my podcast, Park Predators, I take you into the heart of our world's most stunning locations to uncover what sinister crimes have unfolded in these serene settings. From unsolved murders to chilling disappearances, each Tuesday we dive deep into the details of cases that will leave you knowing. Sometimes the most beautiful places hide the darkest secrets. Listen to Park Predators now. Wherever you listen to podcasts.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
In November of 2019, 18 year old Divion Parker was gunned down on a Memphis street, struck in the head at close range by a hooded assailant.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Security footage captured the cold blooded murder and within 24 hours, witnesses had informed police that the man they were looking for was 21 year old Joshua Dotson.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
But his investigators built their case against Dotson, who was already in custody for an unrelated violation of his probate. Dotson was released from jail.
Lesie Rainey
I think they were probably just still maybe getting some cell phone records or getting some other things to see if they could shore up any of the stuff that they already had. And then he ends up getting out.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
You know, I think when people hear this, like, oh my gosh, this guy who just killed someone just got out. But remember, he has not yet been charged in the murder. And really it comes down to there is no easy answer and no one size fits all when it comes to when is the appropriate time to make an arrest. You know, every case needs to be analyzed and decisions made on its own merits. And it's always that double edged sword. You rush and then you end up at trial without enough solid, credible evidence or you take too long, and potentially, if the person in fact is the killer, well, they're released. If they're already in custody or they otherwise flee, or even worse, Scott, you know, they strike again. So it's always this balancing act that law enforcement and prosecutors have to do. But again, you can't. You don't have a crystal ball, so you do the best you can, hopefully based on the evidence you've procured at that point.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
So unfortunately, it's still all about timing, and you have to present the evidence that you have at the time to in order to keep somebody behind bars. So, you know, the unfortunate part about it is that you putting back somebody back on the street is always a risk, no matter who they are. You know, some people are more dangerous than others, and you have to factor that in. But you're also doing a lot of other things in the case to try to build it to a point where you can make an arrest for the thing that you think that person could be responsible for, that you're trying to prove what that person is responsible for. And it happens. People get out. It's the system. But at this point, investigators in Memphis had no idea, as I mentioned, what kind of criminal they were dealing with and just what risk it was to have him on the streets.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Shortly after Dotson was released, on the evening of May 24, 2020, a group of friends were enjoying an outdoor barbecue at a park off Bellevue Boulevard, which is just a mile up the road from where Divyan Parker was killed.
Scott Weinberger
The police get multiple phone calls from this area, which is On Bellevue Boulevard and it's Jesse Turner Park.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Once again, police responded to reports on of multiple gunshots. Only this time the violence had claimed not one victim, but two.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
30 year old Reginald Anderson and 24 year old Renita Bennett had both been shot at close range. The gunman had fled, leaving his victims bleeding helplessly on the ground.
Scott Weinberger
They end up finding out through speaking to some of the witnesses that a person came to the scene in a Cadillac Deville and had an argument with Reginald Anderson. And Renita Benson tried to get in the middle of it and he ended up pulling out his gun and shooting at them.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Renita was shot four times in the chest, suffering life threatening wounds. Reginald Anderson was shot three times in the back while trying to escape.
Scott Weinberger
Both of them were brought to the hospital. Reginald Anderson was pronounced dead that day. Renita ended up surviving for I think it was about a week. But when the police went to go speak with her, she could not speak.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Reginald was the father of two kids, supporting his family with work as a landscaper. And while his family told police that Reginald had some past struggles with substance abuse, he'd been trying to build a more stable life for himself and his family.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
24 year old Renita Bennett was a nursing student with a bright future and no known enemies. There seemed to be nothing that should have made either of them a target for this type of violence.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
And this is where it starts to sound a lot like the shooting of Divyan Parker, because it just seemed so random.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
And in criminal investigations, random as a fact pattern is not good. Detectives are always hunting for similarities, threads to pull. No threads, no suspects.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
But as it turns out, there was a thread because some of the witnesses claimed they recognized the shooter.
Scott Weinberger
Other witnesses identified the person shooting and it was Joshua Dotson.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Joshua Dotson, the same man who killed Devian Parker in November.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Police visited Renita in the hospital hoping she could confirm the identification, or should I say make an identification of Dotson as the person who shot her.
Scott Weinberger
She was in critical condition, but at that time she was non verbal. So they ended up asking her who did this? And through other witnesses who identified the person, they had a photo lineup.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Pointing her finger at the photo, Renita Bennett identified Dotson as the man who shot her. She passed away less than a week later. Wow. Anna Sega Dotson being released back on the streets and committing a double murder is a complete nightmare on so many levels. And while it definitely strengthens the detective's case and presenting it to a prosecutor, of course, lots of questions on how that prosecutor would handle her. Death would. And could they use that id her statement being used, even though the defense would not have an opportunity to question it. Would this be a dying declaration?
Anna Sega Nicolasi
So these dying declarations are in this case a dying identification. It is super rare that prosecutors can use these statements. There's multiple hurdles, you know, in New York, which obviously is the area I know best. It has to be based on personal knowledge. Well, she saw him, the person who shot her, presumably. So check, you know, statements made while that person is close to death or believe that they were. Again, check again. We know that she had very serious injuries in the beginning. She's completely non verbal. She's in critical condition. So that seems that we would get that check mark again there. But also it has to be with really they don't believe they have any hope in recovering. And that is always where we come into that biggest question mark. What is it that she thought? You know, so often people think they're gonna get better or there is hope. And the reason that it's so tough to introduce these statements at trial is because, as you pointed out, Scott, is because you can't cross examine that identification. And so does that unfairly prejudice the defendant. And so that is the reason we rarely, rarely get to use these as prosecutors. But you know, they had it at this point. And needless to say, investigators got to work gathering as much evidence and witness testimony as they could regarding what, as you pointed out, Scott was now a double homicide in Jesse Turner park, which included.32 caliber shell casings, which was a match for the bullets that had killed both Reginald and Renita.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
In their canvas for witnesses, they also got hints at a potential motive.
Scott Weinberger
So it is said that Joshua Dotson's dad was there and he was the one who had an argument. We don't know what the argument was about, but had an argument with the people at the park and that he, his son Joshua, who then pulled up and that's how the shooting began. It seems that it was clear that he came to start a fight.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
And now Joshua Dotson was on the run, armed and definitely dangerous.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
It would be three weeks before he would surface tragically at the site of yet another shooting.
Lesie Rainey
June 12, 2020, the police get a call to 1269 Quinn, which is a rooming house in a residential neighborhood, but it is a house where individuals rent specific rooms. There's not a landlord on site.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
It also happened to be the home of Dotson's girlfriend, 19 year old Jamiesha Kovson.
Lesie Rainey
She had been shot multiple times. Two at least. She Was found in the hallway, face down the central hallway of this small house.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Jamiesha also happened to be five months pregnant, and despite the best efforts of first responders, she and her unborn son did not survive.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Jamiesha was described by her friends as bright, independent, and determined to raise her baby despite her difficult circumstances. Circumstances that ultimately proved too hard to escape, Namely, her violent boyfriend, Joshua Dodson.
Lesie Rainey
There were at least four other people in the house at the time that this happened. So police immediately kind of start asking those people what happened. There's a witness who was in her room. She describes she knows the victim, and she's familiar with Joshua Dotson as Jamisha's boyfriend because he comes over and spends time at the house. She describes hearing an argument between Jamisha and Joshua Dotson early in the morning.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
According to this witness, the argument escalated and then turned violent.
Lesie Rainey
She recognizes Joshua Dotson's voice, and she hears a shot that's fired at that time just sort of through the back door.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
It was followed by the sound of Dotson leaving. And for a moment, it seemed like Jamiesha was out of danger.
Lesie Rainey
Ms. Jordan kind of goes back to bed. She's laying in her bed watching tv when he comes back about an hour later.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Another neighbor witnessed that moment. Dotson returned with a gun in his hand.
Lesie Rainey
When Joshua Dotson comes back the second time, she hears a commotion and sticks her head out of her door of her room and sees Jamisha running down the hall trying to get away from him. And Joshua Dotson walking behind Jamisha and raise up the gun and shoot her in the back and then leave.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Dotson was now the prime suspect in the murder of five people. Devon Parker, Reginald Anderson, Renita Bennett, and now Jamisha Kovson and her unborn son.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
What was even more shocking was that these five homicides, they occurred in three different incidents with what appeared to be three distinctly different motives. I mean, besides the suspected gunman, Is it really possible that all of these murders are completely unrelated?
Anna Sega Nicolasi
And that's exactly what Memphis investigators were trying to figure out, Starting with the collection of evidence in their latest murder, that of his girlfriend.
Lesie Rainey
Based on talking to their friends, they had a very volatile on again, off again relationship.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
A cell phone recovered from Jamiesha's bedroom gave some clues to what might have been the source of their latest argument.
Lesie Rainey
Apparently, Jamiesha thought that Joshua was texting another young woman and, like, trying to get with her. And so they argued about that first thing in the morning. There also seems to be, based on the text messages, some question the Jamisha's baby that she is pregnant with is not Dotson's baby. In the text, she says, you know, I told you this wasn't your baby. Like, you knew this wasn't your baby. But he seems to be struggling with that a bit.
Scott Weinberger
On her phone, they found voice memos and voice like that she sent to Joshua Dotson that morning. She basically was like, telling him not to come back, like, screw you. Just getting heated about it and telling him that she doesn't need him and all this type of stuff. And so those were voice memos that she sent to him that morning after he left her the first time. Like the first argument where he shot through the door.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Based on what they had learned from witnesses and Jamesha's own text messages, investigators issued a warrant for Dotson's arrest. But within hours of Jamesha's murder, he was nowhere to be found.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
But that's not to say he totally disappeared, because just two hours after Jamesha's murder, Dotson posted a chilling message on.
Scott Weinberger
Facebook right after the murder. He posted on his Facebook, like, fly high, Jamesha, like, love you. Like, he posted the memorial type thing.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
But knowing his reputation and violent past, Jamisha's friends were not buying it.
Scott Weinberger
People commented on it and was like, this is ridiculous. You're the one who killed her. And he was trying to defend himself through it in multiple comments. And he was like, nah, this wasn't me. This was someone else.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
It was almost like Dotson was taunting both the police and his victims were, or at the very least, doing a terrible job of covering up his role in the murders. Even his Google search history, which police had gotten a warrant to monitor, was self incriminating.
Scott Weinberger
He did keep searching on his phone all the different murders that happened. He kept searching Devian Parker's name. He searched Reginald Anderson and Renita Bennett. And one really interesting thing, he kept searching Jesse Dotson and Lester street murder on his phone. And that is, we believe, his uncle, but he's related to him. And that was another murder that happened In Memphis in 2008, a murder that.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Claimed the lives of six people, all members of the killer, Jesse Dodson's family. And Jesse Dodson was believed to be Joshua Dodson's uncle.
Scott Weinberger
One of the kids was stabbed in the head and left with a knife sticking out of it for days. And he ended up surviving and testifying against him and identifying him.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
But why would Joshua Dotson, the killer's nephew, be interested in that gruesome case? And why now? Was it at a morbid curiosity or some Sort of twisted, almost family pride.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Joshua Dodson was the suspect in five murders. He was on the run. And it was becoming increasingly clear to investigators that if he wasn't stopped, he was more than capable of killing again.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
The only question was whether they would get him in custody before it was too late. I don't mean to interrupt your meal, but I saw you from across a.
Lesie Rainey
Cafe and you're the Geico Gecko, right? In the flesh. Oh, my goodness. This is huge. To finally meet you.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
I love Geico's fast and friendly claim service.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Well, that's how Geico gets 97% customer satisfaction.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Anyway, that's all.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Enjoy the rest of your food.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
No worries.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
So are you just gonna watch me eat?
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Oh, sorry.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Just a little starstruck.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
I'll be on my way.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
If you're gonna stick around, just pull up a chair.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
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Anna Sega Nicolasi
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Delia D'Ambra
Hi, everyone. I'm investigative journalist and park enthusiast Delia d'. Ambra. And every week on my podcast, Park Predators, I take you into the heart of our world's most stunning locations to uncover what sinister crime unfolded in these serene settings. From unsolved murders to chilling disappearances. Each Tuesday, we dive deep into the details of cases that will leave you knowing sometimes the most beautiful places hide the darkest secrets. Listen to Park Predators now, wherever you listen to podcasts.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Three seemingly unrelated incidents of extreme violence resulting in in five homicides. Was there a singular motive behind this killing spree? Or could this be the work of a serial killer?
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Joshua Dotson was last seen leaving the home of his girlfriend, Jamiesha Coveson, after firing the bullets that killed her and her unborn baby.
Scott Weinberger
That's when Joshua goes on the run. He ends up in Nashville for about a month, and that is when he is arrested and extradited back to Memphis.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
After that, on June 18, 2020, Joshua Dotson was charged with two counts of first degree murder for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Jamisha Coveson, and her unborn child.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
And this time, Shelby county was not going to let him slip through the cracks. The new prosecutors assigned to the case were determined to make him answer for his crimes. The only question was choosing which case.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
To try first, because as Lesie explained, without a clear connection between these five homicides, they would have to be prosecuted separately.
Lesie Rainey
The motives are separate, the timing is separate. We have rules against combining cases unless it's all part of the same course of action. So in order to make sure that the jury is deliberating on each specific Crime and not being influenced by proof of other crimes, we have to try them one at a time.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
And I assume that it also meant that it is in their best interest to start with the case that prosecutors believe has the best chance of a conviction.
Scott Weinberger
We sat down and we went through all of the murders. We had our victim witness coordinator call all of our witnesses to see who was cooperative, who we could find. We found that one of our witnesses on the third murder for Jean Jamisha, she was passed away. And then, like Lesie said, on the second murder at the park, some of those witnesses we could not even find. And then on the first murder, one of our main witnesses was Jamisha. So we had some issues here. But Lesie, her idea was that we should try the domestic violence murder first.
Lesie Rainey
Jamisha Cosense did seem like the strongest case for lots of reasons. We could find some of the witnesses that we needed, but also because it's a particularly cruel and awful thing to do to murder a pregnant woman, and that if we could convict him of one of these, then we might not have to trial the rest of them.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Joshua Dawson's trial for the murder of Jamiesha Coveson began in August of 2024. And despite what seemed like a mountain of circumstantial evidence, Lessie and Regina knew, knew it would have significant challenges.
Scott Weinberger
I think it was really just getting the jury to believe in our witnesses, like it was going to be credibility at that point. It was all eyewitness testimony. We didn't have, you know, fingerprints and we didn't have, you know, like, DNA. So it was really all eyewitnesses at that point. And we didn't know if he was going to testify or not until the end. So it was really all about credibility if the jury was going to believe our witnesses.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
So let's talk about those witnesses first. You have the rooming house neighbor who witnessed Dotson and Jamisha arguing. Right. She saw that first part of the confrontation that day, which resulted then in the first gunshot through the door.
Lesie Rainey
Ms. Was very cooperative, but she was an older lady and she didn't really see that much. It was a lot of like, oh, I heard arguing.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
And then there was the other resident of the rooming house that says she actually saw Dodson fire the shots that killed Jamisha. But it was clear that she was far less reliable.
Lesie Rainey
We were on pins and needles whether she was even going to show up. We had to issue a warrant for her arrest as a witness during the trial. Now she showed up. We didn't have to have her arrested, but we had the warrant issued.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
So I just think of this is a tough one. I mean, you'd hope people would be willing to see the importance of coming forward and testifying as something as critical as a murder case. But some, as you know, are reluctant for all types of reasons. Chief among them is not trusting the police, fear of retribution, or really just not wanting to be involved or bothered at all. And for me, all of those potential issues are problematic.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Well, I don't think it's going to surprise anyone out there to hear that people are not really knocking on prosecutors doors to testify in homicide cases. Right. Because as you said, Scott, there's that fear factor. And safety is an obvious concern. But as prosecutors, we need witnesses to prove cases to hold people accountable for their crimes and homicide. Most prosecutors, certainly, including me, will tell you they have had to use from time to time, material witness orders to get witnesses to court, which does mean a warrant for their arrest. You can put someone in handcuffs if you need to, and absolutely, it's not ideal, and you try not to use those. But we're also tasked with getting justice for these victims, holding people accountable, and trying to protect the public from the offenders like it's our job. But at the same time, that's one of those areas that might be uncomfortable to talk about, but it is sometimes a necessary reality.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
And, you know, there was another key witness that had admitted to police that he actually saw Dotson on the morning of Jamisha's murder and that Dotson had also confessed to the murder.
Scott Weinberger
So earlier that morning, after the first fight, he goes to this guy, his name is Simon Sullivan, who ends up being one of our witnesses at trial who was in custody at the time on unrelated charges. And we were very lucky testified for us. He goes to him that morning and rants about the fight that they had. And Simon tells him, you know, don't go back over there. You shouldn't do this, like, just leave her alone. He ends up also telling him, leave her alone because she knows about all of the other stuff that you did. So obviously he doesn't want him to screw anything up so that Jamisha doesn't, you know, go to the police or anything like that. After the murder happens, he goes back to Simon's house and tells him that he shot Jamisha.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
But again, is Dotson's friend a reliable witness? He was incarcerated, so that is a strike for the jury that will need to be addressed. And in his statement to police, he admitted that he had prior knowledge of Dotson's role in the earlier homicides. Not something a juror is going to like to hear.
Lesie Rainey
We were very worried about physical safety because he had agreed to testify for us. He was my witness, and I remember being terrified that he would back out at the last minute. But he'd also been friends with Jamisha, and I think he felt very strongly about doing the right thing for her.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
And so what about the physical evidence? I think that's really an important question. And I'm thinking specifically about the murder weapon, because in the midst of all this shaky eyewitness testimony, the gun could go a long way.
Lesie Rainey
We ended up actually having the gun in this case, which was another reason we picked it to try first, because that's something that juries like. But Simon actually bought the gun from Dotson's father, not knowing that it was the murder weapon. He bought it, like, two weeks later, and then he got arrested on something separate. And they linked the gun back up to the murder. And I think he was mad about that, too, that he was mad that they had sold him the murder weapon that killed his friend.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
And now you know how Simon Sullivan was discovered by police and became a witness. He was actually in possession of the murder weapon, which just serves to further put into question his credibility and maybe even give the defense an opportunity to establish reasonable doubt.
Lesie Rainey
The defense attorney actually was talking prior to his client's testimony. Actually, his argument was that Sullivan did it. You know, he had the gun, and he knew the victim. And his argument originally was that Sullivan was the one that had killed her.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
But in the end, Sullivan and the other witnesses did all testify. And even without introducing the fact that Dotson was a suspect in three other murders, prosecutors were able to establish that he had the means, the motive, and the opportunity and to kill Jamiesha Kovson. And the only thing he didn't have was an alibi.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
It was a strong case. But as you know, I always say, there is no such thing as a slam dunk. And this is where the trial took a wild turn.
Lesie Rainey
In Tennessee, we have what's called a moment hearing, where the judge calls the defendant to the stand outside the presence of the jury and reviews his rights with him to testify or not. And this has to be done on the record, outside the presence of the jury. And so you never really know whether the defendant's going to testify until you have that hearing.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
So in most circumstances, this hearing is pretty routine. But Joshua Dotson had other plans.
Scott Weinberger
So during the hearing, the defense attorney calls up his client, Joshua Dotson, and he gets to the stand. And he has to go through his rights. You know, you have the right to remain silent. You do not have to testify. I have advised you not to testify. He actually said, I am begging you not to testify. He's like, please, please, please do not testify. And Joshua Dotson just said, no, I want to tell my story.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Against the advice of his counsel, Dotson insisted on testifying. He began by admitting he knew Jamiesha Kovson. And we actually have that on audio, which you're going to hear parts of. And we'll tell you right now, it is difficult to hear. It was actually captured while he was testifying in the courtroom, so the quality isn't great. So listen carefully.
Scott Weinberger
Do you know a woman named Jisha C. Yes.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Female I killed.
Lesie Rainey
What he said was, she's that female I killed. He didn't even call her like a person. She's just a female. She's that female I killed.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
In the recording, you can hear both the lack of remorse and the almost matter of fact tone of somebody bragging about his crime. And he was just getting warmed up.
Scott Weinberger
He started rambling really, really fast and said, and I killed other people, too. And that's when the judge interrupted him and was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's slow down. Let your attorney ask you some questions. I shot D Park in the hood with 32 audit. All right, so, Mr. Dawson, give me, your attorney, an opportunity to ask questions. Are those your questions, sir?
Anna Sega Nicolasi
But with Dotson's defiant admission of guilt, his attorney must have known that his case was basically sunk.
Scott Weinberger
He hung his head down and was like, no, judge, I have no more questions. Because, like, what else is he going to say? He just admitted to killing this woman, and he opened the door to the other murders.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
In her cross examination, Regina was now able to not only ask directly questions about Jamisha's murder, but also about the three other murders Datsun had now taken credit for. He opened the door, and as a.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Prosecutor, I can tell you 100%, this must have been both exciting and also absolutely nerve wracking. You know, you have this golden opportunity to put the case away and possibly even three other open homicides in the process. And let me add something else right here. This was Regina's very first murder trial.
Scott Weinberger
I literally look at Lesie and I just go, oh, my God, what do I do?
Lesie Rainey
And so I was like, just get up there and ask him what he did. Like, on this day, like, what did you do? And that's what she did.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
But not even a veteran prosecutor could have ever imagined what would have happened next. And before you listen to this, I'll just tell you that Anna Sega called me right after this interview and told me about this, and it was just shocking.
Scott Weinberger
So you said you killed her? Yup. How'd you kill her? I'm a serial killer named Michael Myers.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
From the Halloween movie.
Scott Weinberger
And the whole time, I love killing females. Looking at his eyes was also so scary because he then looked at me and said, my name is Michael Myers, and I'm a serial killer. And I was like, I'm sorry, what?
Anna Sega Nicolasi
I'm Michael Myers, as in the fictional serial killer from the classic horror movie Halloween.
Scott Weinberger
I've crossed a defendant before in trial, but this was something completely different. He said that he has killed many women before and just kept saying, like, I'm Michael Myers, and my name has changed in the system incorrectly. So I said, who else did you kill? And he said, I killed Devian Parker. And I was like, did you shoot Devian Parker in November of 2019? And I like. He's like, yeah, I killed him. I shot him. And he was like, and I killed a bunch of other people. And I was like, who else did you kill?
Lesie Rainey
And then I ended up killing her.
Scott Weinberger
And I killed some more people out there. I shot some more people at the apology, because, yeah, okay, who'd you kill at the park?
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
I killed about three people.
Scott Weinberger
And he was like, I shot three people at the park. And I was like, is that Renita Bennett and Reginald Anderson? And he was like, yeah, I killed them. I was like, was that May 20, 2020? And he was like, yeah, I killed them, too.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
At one point, he even pointed to the evidence table and ID'd the murder weapon he used to kill Jamisha.
Lesie Rainey
He did say, I'm looking at the transcript. I killed Jamisha Coson. Cause she snitched on me about killing Deviane Parker.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
It was an extraordinary moment in the courtroom. A brazen confession to five murders.
Scott Weinberger
He had zero remorse. He just had no emotion at all when he was doing this, when he was speaking to us, like, testifying, like, he definitely is a psychopath for sure.
Lesie Rainey
I think he was bragging. I don't even think it's no emotion. I think he was bragging. This is what I did. And I killed these other people, too.
Scott Weinberger
And I'm a serial killer.
Lesie Rainey
Yes. Look at what a scary monster I am. I think he was bragging.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
In fact, Dotson's testimony was so shocking that prosecutors worried that when they presented his confession to the jury, they may not believe it.
Lesie Rainey
We got worried that the jury would think he was insane because he kept talking about being Michael Myers and that he was making it all up. I mean, he was so casual about talking about killing all these other people. So we called the case officer on those other cases to say, no, these are real murders and he was arrested for them. Like he's not making up cases that didn't happen. Like these were real people that died and he's the one that did it.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Ultimately, jurors were given specific instructions on how to use the evidence that was presented, including Dotson's confessions to the other murders. The state still had to prove all the elements of the case that he was charged with during that trial, which was Jamisha Coveson's murder and that of her unborn child. The jury wasted little time in making their decision.
Scott Weinberger
Oh, not long, like an hour, I would say.
Lesie Rainey
I would have said an hour and a half, like 90 minutes maybe.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Joshua Dotson, the self professed serial killer who called himself Michael Myers, was found guilty on all counts. In a strange coincidence, his sentencing was scheduled for October 31, Halloween.
Scott Weinberger
I argued to have the two life sentences consecutive and the judge ended up agreeing with us and she sentenced him to 104 years.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
At that time, Joshua Dotson ultimately pled guilty to the murders of Divion Parker, Reginald Anderson and Renita Bennett, waiving his right to any future appeals.
Scott Weinberger
He wanted to get his cases over with. He did not want to go to trial. And so he pled guilty to the three other homicides and he pled guilty to them consecutively. So that was also 156 years on the three homicides total, consecutive to the 104 years. He's in jail for quite some time.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
The judge in Jamisha's case referred to the murder as one of the most tragic cases in recent memory. Not just for the loss of a young expectant mother, but also her unborn son. All of the hopes and dreams she had for both of them.
Scott Weinberger
Jamisha lived a really, really hard life. She was only 19 and she was pregnant and she was really trying to survive for herself. I'm really glad that we did get justice for her and we put away a horrible, horrible human being in the.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Eyes of the media. This case was sensational, grabbing headlines worldwide. The public's and Hollywood's infatuation with serial killers is a whole larger issue. And sadly, in this case, the infatuation turned action. And that is so troubling. We owe it to the victims of this kind of twisted sensationalism more. They need to be the center the of of our outrage. The very families shattered by these crimes. In an age where clicks, downloads and ratings are built on sensational headlines, our true calling here on AOM remains to amplify empathy, justice and remembrance.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
This case made the headlines, but because of the things Dotson said in court and because of the number of his victims. But all too often these people specific murders themselves don't make the headlines yet. As a former prosecutor, I can tell you that beyond it being five murders by one single man, each one of them is the type of case that prosecutors handle regularly. All across the country, multiple families lost so much at Dotson's hands. Divion, still a teenager when he was killed. To Reginald and Regina, friends in a park murdered because of an argument with Dodson's dad. And then his girlfriend Jamisha, a 19 year old who had not had an easy life, far from it, but who'd been excited to become a mom and tried to make the life of her child better than hers had been. And an unborn baby who will never see the sun. We remember them all today and shake our heads at the senselessness of their deaths. We will be off next week, but Anatomy of Murder will be back the following week with an all new episode.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Anatomy of Murder is an audio Chuck.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Original produced and created by Weinberger Media and Frasetti Media.
Narrator / Host of Anatomy of Murder
Ashley Flowers is executive producer.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
This episode was written and produced by Walker Lamond, researched by Kate Cooper, edited by Ali Sierrawa and Phil Jean Grande. I think Chuck would approve. Hi, I'm Ashley Flowers. And I'm Britt. And if you're on the edge of.
Scott Weinberger
Your seat listening to this show, Crime.
Anna Sega Nicolasi
Junkie needs to be your next listen. Every Monday, I dive into a new true crime case that our reporting team has been on the ground looking into. From lesser known disappearances to to the most chilling cases hitting the headlines. And I'm gonna walk you through it the way I tell my best friend because, well, that's what I'm doing. Yeah, that's me. And I'm right there with you as we listen together, react to every wild detail. And of course I ask all the questions and I'm gonna have the answers because we have case files, we're talking to detectives and family members and we're gonna stay focused on the facts. So if you're not already listening to Crime Junkie, what are you waiting for? There are over 300 episodes available right now and you can listen to new episodes of Crime Junkie every Monday wherever you get your podcasts.
Podcast: Anatomy of Murder
Hosts: Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi, Scott Weinberger
Episode Date: August 19, 2025
In this episode, Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi and Scott Weinberger dissect a series of murders in Memphis, Tennessee, all tracing back to one man—Joshua Dotson. The story unfolds from the initial killing of 18-year-old Divion Parker, spiraling into more violence that claims the lives of Reginald Anderson, Renita Bennett, Jamesha Covson, and Covson’s unborn son. The hosts and their guests, prosecutors Lesie Rainey and Regina Lucas, detail the emotional toll and investigative challenges of these violent crimes, culminating in a jaw-dropping courtroom confession that would seal Dotson’s fate.
Memphis’ Challenges:
The Start of a Crime Spree:
Prosecutorial Dilemma:
Dotson’s Release and Consequences:
On the Murder of Divion Parker:
On the System’s Risks:
On the Dying Declaration:
On Dotson’s Confession:
On the Sensationalism of Serial Killers:
| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 02:08 | Introduction to Memphis’ crime landscape | | 04:25 | Discovery of Divion Parker’s murder | | 07:56 | Identifying the suspects on video | | 09:22 | Dotson’s arrest on unrelated charges | | 13:41 | Recap of Divion Parker’s murder and prosecutorial delay | | 16:14 | Double shooting at Jesse Turner Park | | 18:54 | Renita Bennett’s dying identification | | 22:18 | Murder of Jamiesha Covson | | 25:41 | Dotson’s online reaction post-murder | | 26:34 | Dotson’s incriminating search history | | 29:26 | Dotson arrested after going on the run | | 31:19 | Prosecution’s strategy facing multiple murders | | 34:32 | Simon Sullivan’s key witness testimony | | 36:05 | Linking and recovering the murder weapon | | 38:00 | Dotson takes the stand, confesses on record | | 41:00 | Dotson proclaims he’s “Michael Myers” | | 44:08 | Jury returns verdict | | 44:31 | Sentencing delivered |
The episode offers a chilling yet unflinching look into what happens when justice is delayed and a dangerous offender is underestimated. The hosts and guests push back on sensationalism, urging listeners to focus on the lives lost, not just the headlines. The case underscores the complexities and gut-wrenching choices prosecutors and law enforcement face when evidence, witness reliability, and the risk to public safety must all be balanced in real time.
The hosts take time to honor the victims:
“We remember them all today and shake our heads at the senselessness of their deaths.” — Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi [46:27]