John Jefferson
Inset, left to right: Joshua Dotson (Shelby County District Attorney’s Office) and Jamesha Covson (WREG). Background: Authorities outside the home where Dotson killed Covson (WREG).
A Tennessee man who called himself a “serial killer” in court and who is serving two life sentences for killing his pregnant girlfriend and her unborn child received an additional 159 years in prison for the murders of three other people.
Joshua Dotson learned his added fate on Friday after pleading guilty to the murders of Divieon Parker, Renita Bennett and Reginald Anderson, according to a press release from the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.
The additional 159 years will run consecutive with his prior murder conviction in August, bringing his total sentence to 261 years in lockup for the five murders. Dotson was also convicted of the murders of his former girlfriend, Jamesha Covson, and her unborn child, resulting in two consecutive life sentences totaling 102 years.
“After five years, we are pleased to finally have justice for Dotson’s multiple victims,” said Shelby County District Attorney Regina Lucreziano, who worked on the case. “While no amount of time in prison will bring the victims back to their loved ones, we are content that he will never be a threat to our community again.”
Parker was killed on Nov. 17, 2019, in a Memphis market parking lot. Anderson and Bennett were shot on May 24, 2020, near a park in Memphis. Covson was shot on June 12, 2020. Dotson was added to the state’s most wanted list and was arrested days later.
As Law&Crime reported in October, a jury found Dotson guilty on two counts of first-degree murder for the fatal shootings of Covson and her unborn child following a three-day trial. Jurors deliberated for just 45 minutes after Dotson took the stand in his own defense and told the court that he was a “serial killer,” Memphis-based Fox affiliate WHBQ reported.
“I am Michael Myers,” Dotson reportedly exclaimed during testimony in which he also confessed to the three additional murders. The comment was an apparent reference to the fictional character of the same name who terrorized teenagers in the “Halloween” horror movie series.
Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Carolyn L. Addison sentenced Dotson to 51 years for each murder conviction, ordering the sentences to be served consecutively, meaning one after the other.
During the hearing, Addison reportedly referred to Covson’s murder as “one of the saddest situations I’ve seen in my career.”
“You will never show remorse for the loss you’ve brought,” Addison said to Dotson, per WHBQ. “The jury got it right.”
According to a probable cause affidavit from the Memphis Police Department, in the early morning hours of June 12, 2020, Dotson and Covson were at her home on the 1200 block of Quinn Avenue in Memphis when they got into an argument regarding “some post on Facebook and the victim’s pregnancy.” At one point, Covson went into a room and closed the door on Dotson, who responded by firing a bullet through the door.
While the initial bullet did not hit Covson, Dotson forced his way into the room to continue arguing before leaving. Police said he returned a bit later and fired multiple shots into Covson’s closed door, ultimately killing her and the child.
“Several hours later, officers received a call regarding a shooting with one shot to [Covson’s address],” the affidavit states. “The victim, Covson, was found in the house with several gunshot wounds. She was transported to the hospital where she expired from her wounds. The doctors at the hospital advised she was approx. 5 to 6 months pregnant and the baby had also expired from the injuries.”
Multiple witnesses told authorities they saw Dotson with a gun during both shootings and prosecutors called 10 witnesses to the stand during the trial to provide testimony.
According to a news release from the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, just two hours after fatally shooting Covson, Dotson “posted a memorial for Covson on his Facebook page, telling her to “Fly high,” in what authorities believe was a calculated attempt to distance himself from the crime.”
Jerry Lambe contributed to this report.
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