On the evening of March 29, 2019, in Newport News, Virginia, a heated argument between two acquaintances escalated into a fatal encounter. Randall Edward Dotson, a 61-year-old white male, was shot multiple times outside a room at a Motel 6 on J. Clyde Morris Boulevard. Police were dispatched to the scene at approximately 5:23 p.m. and found Dotson on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite the efforts of emergency responders, he was pronounced dead at 5:32 p.m.
The investigation quickly led police to 42-year-old Alfred Raymond Lattanzio. Dotson and Lattanzio were reportedly staying in the same motel room when an argument broke out. The dispute spilled outside, where witnesses reported that Lattanzio followed Dotson across the parking lot and shot him multiple times at close range. Thanks to a quick police response and cooperation from citizens at the scene, Lattanzio was apprehended a short time later. He was found armed and hiding in a wooded area near the I-64 interchange.
Lattanzio was charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a felon. During his interrogation, Lattanzio claimed the argument stemmed from what he described as demeaning treatment by Dotson. He admitted to 'blacking out' in anger and using a firearm that Dotson had reportedly given him as a gift. The case took a tragic turn on April 1, 2019, when Lattanzio was found hanging in his cell at the Newport News City Jail in an apparent suicide attempt. Although deputies were able to resuscitate him, he was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries three days later, on April 4, 2019.
