Killer recently released charged in brother's death

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A convicted killer recently released from prison was charged Saturday in the deaths of six people, including his brother and two children, authorities said.

Jessie L. Dotson, 33, was arrested on Friday -- five days after the bodies were discovered in a small rental house in a rough, low-income neighborhood called Binghampton. Three other children were found critically wounded.

Dotson was charged with six counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder, police said. Among those killed was Dotson's brother, Cecil, 30, who was the father of all the children ages 9, 7, 5, 4 and 2 months. Police have not said which children died.

Dotson is accused of shooting his brother during an argument and then killing the others to get rid of witnesses.

"He tried to kill everyone in the house. He thought everyone in the house was dead," said Lt. Joe Scott, a homicide detective.

The surviving children remain under police custody at a children's hospital and authorities refused to give the extent of their injuries. Also killed were Hollis Seals, 33, Shindri Roberson, 25, and Marissa Rene Williams, 26, the mother of four of Cecil Dotson's children.

Police said the victims were killed Sunday morning. The bodies were discovered Monday.

The adults were shot, while the children were stabbed with a knife and bludgeoned, police said.

Cecil Dotson and Seals each had extensive criminal records that include possession of illegal drugs and firearms. Cecil Dotson is identified in jail records as a known gang member.

Records also show that Jessie Dotson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 1994 and spent 14 years in prison. He was released from prison in January.