In a tragic turn of events on June 12, 2020, 19-year-old Jamesha Covson, a pregnant woman from Memphis, Tennessee, was fatally shot in her home. The incident occurred at her residence in the 1200 block of Quinn Avenue. An argument between Covson and her former boyfriend, Joshua Dotson, escalated, reportedly over a Facebook post and her pregnancy.
The dispute initially led to Dotson firing a shot through a closed door behind which Covson had sought refuge.
After forcing his way into the room and continuing the argument, Dotson left the scene only to return a few hours later. It was upon his return that he shot Covson multiple times, inflicting wounds that would prove fatal for both her and her unborn child. Emergency services transported her to a hospital, but tragically, neither life could be saved. In a chilling attempt to deflect suspicion, Dotson posted a memorial for Covson on his Facebook page just hours after the murder, telling her to 'Fly high.'
Following the shooting, a manhunt for Joshua Dotson was initiated, and he was soon added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's Most Wanted list. Six days after the murder, he was apprehended in Nashville. Dotson's subsequent trial revealed a shocking and disturbing persona. He testified in his own defense, referring to himself as a 'serial killer' and drawing comparisons to the fictional murderer Michael Myers. During his testimony, he also claimed responsibility for three other murders that occurred between 2019 and 2020.
On August 22, 2024, a jury found Joshua Dotson guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Jamesha Covson and her unborn child. He received two consecutive 51-year sentences, totaling 102 years in prison for these crimes. The judge, calling it one of the saddest cases of her career, denied the defense's request for concurrent sentences, emphasizing the gravity of the loss of two lives. Following this conviction, Dotson pleaded guilty to the murders of Divieon Parker, Renita Bennett, and Reginald Anderson. This resulted in an additional 159-year sentence, bringing his total prison time to 261 years.
