A self-proclaimed "serial killer," Joshua Dotson, will spend the next 261 years in prison. After he was convicted and sentenced to 102 years for the 2020 murder of his pregnant girlfriend and unborn child, Dotson received an additional 159-year sentence after pleading guilty to other three counts of first-degree murder.
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According to PEOPLE, Dotson was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Jamesha Covson, and her unborn child, in August 2024. Back on June 12, 2020, Dotson murdered Covson at her home. Reportedly, he got angry over a Facebook post and her pregnancy. Covson suffered multiple gunshot wounds and would later succumb to her injuries at a local hospital. He received two consecutive life sentences, which totaled 102 years.
Joshua Dotson would later plead guilty to an additional three counts of first-degree murder. He pleaded guilty to the murders of Divieon Parker, Renita Bennett, and Reginald Anderson. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon.
"Serial Killer"
During his trial, Dotson made some strange remarks. According to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office, in his own defense, he proclaimed himself as a "serial killer." He also compared himself to Michael Myers, from the slasher horror film franchise Halloween. The court was shocked by his remarks, as he also claimed responsibility for the three additional murders that took place between 2019 and 2020.
Disturbingly, after he murdered his pregnant ex-girlfriend and child, Dotson would post a memorial to Covson's social media, which read "Fly high." He would try to hurt Covson's memory by claiming she was a "sex worker." Furthermore, Dotson said that Covson knew about his previous murders. This, to him, was the motive behind Covson's murder.
Dotson's defense argued for concurrent sentences. However, Judge Carlyn Addison, due to the gravity of Dotson's murders of Jamesha Covson and her unborn child, upheld consecutive sentencing. Joshua Dotson, in total, will serve 261 years in prison.
Prosecutor Regina Lucraziano issued a statement following Dotson's sentencing.
"After five years, we are pleased to finally have justice for Dotson's multiple victims," Lucraziano wrote. "His sentences, both from the guilty verdict after a trial and these two pleas today, amount to 261 years in prison. 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."
