Jason Thomas Scott: The Mother-Daughter Killer of Prince George’s County
Background and Double Life
Jason Thomas Scott was born on February 21, 1983, and grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland. To many people who knew him, Scott appeared intelligent, educated and dependable. He studied computer science at the University of Maryland and worked at a United Parcel Service facility. Beneath that respectable appearance, however, investigators discovered a methodical criminal who spent years committing burglaries, armed home invasions, robberies and killings throughout suburban communities outside Washington, D.C.
Scott’s employment reportedly gave him access to information connected to local addresses and deliveries. Prosecutors believed he used his knowledge of area neighborhoods, combined with careful surveillance, to identify homes that appeared prosperous or occupied by women. He often operated at night while dressed in dark clothing and wearing a mask, gloves or other items intended to conceal his identity. His ability to enter homes quietly and avoid leaving obvious evidence made the attacks especially frightening.
Escalation from Burglary to Armed Home Invasion
Beginning as early as 2007, Prince George’s County experienced a series of residential burglaries involving stolen electronics, jewelry, firearms and other valuables. The crimes gradually became more violent. Instead of waiting for residents to leave, the intruder began entering occupied homes, restraining the people inside and threatening them with a firearm.
Survivors described a masked attacker who exercised chilling control over his victims. In several incidents, residents were tied up or ordered to remain still while their belongings were taken. Scott was ultimately connected to dozens of burglaries and multiple armed home invasions. Investigators later concluded that this extensive crime wave provided the setting in which his violence escalated into homicide.
The Killing of Vilma Butler
On June 24, 2008, firefighters responded to a burning residence in Bowie, Maryland. Inside the damaged home, authorities discovered the body of 46-year-old Vilma Artis Butler. An autopsy determined that Butler had been shot before the fire began. Investigators believed the house had been deliberately set ablaze to destroy evidence and conceal the circumstances of her death.
Butler’s home had been ransacked, and the combination of burglary, murder and attempted destruction of evidence resembled the methods later associated with Scott. Prosecutors eventually named him in connection with Butler’s death, although the charge was later dropped as part of the agreement resolving the murders of Delores and Ebony DeWitt. Scott was therefore not separately convicted of killing Butler.
The Murders of Karen and Karissa Lofton
During the early morning hours of January 26, 2009, 16-year-old Karissa Olivia Lofton telephoned emergency dispatchers from the family home on Southall Drive in Largo, Maryland. Karissa reported that she and her mother had been shot. Police and emergency personnel rushed to the residence, where they found Karissa and her 45-year-old mother, Karen Sherill Lofton, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Both were pronounced dead.
Karen was a nurse, while Karissa was a high school student. Investigators found the mother and daughter in separate bedrooms. The residence showed little evidence of a conventional burglary, and detectives believed the attacker had entered through a window and moved through the house with planning and purpose. The absence of useful fingerprints or other obvious forensic evidence suggested that the killer had taken precautions to avoid identification.
The recording of Karissa’s emergency call became an important part of the investigation. It established that she had survived long enough to seek help, but the attack had left her unable to provide police with a complete description of the gunman. Prosecutors later charged Scott with both murders. Those counts were eventually dismissed under the plea agreement in the DeWitt case, meaning Scott did not receive separate convictions for killing Karen and Karissa.
The Murders of Delores and Ebony DeWitt
On March 16, 2009, approximately seven weeks after the Lofton murders, firefighters were called to a burning Nissan Maxima on Webbwood Court in Largo. After extinguishing the flames, authorities discovered the bodies of two women inside the stolen vehicle. One victim was in the passenger area, while the other had been placed in the trunk.
Dental records identified the victims as 42-year-old Delores Renee DeWitt and her daughter, Ebony DeWitt, who was 20. Delores was a nurse, and Ebony was preparing to begin a career in health care. Their home on Cedarhollow Lane was located only a short distance from the place where their bodies were found.
Investigators determined that both women had been strangled before their bodies were moved. Evidence inside the DeWitt residence indicated that the killer had attempted to clean the crime scene with bleach. The stolen automobile was then used to transport the victims before it was deliberately set on fire in an attempt to destroy their remains and any physical evidence connecting the murderer to the crime.
The deaths immediately reminded detectives of the Lofton murders. In both cases, a mother and daughter living in the same general area had been killed inside or near their home. Both mothers worked as nurses, both crimes involved careful preparation, and neither pair appeared to have a personal connection to the killer. Investigators began considering whether the same person was responsible for both attacks.
Known and Alleged Victims
- Vilma Artis Butler, 46: Killed on June 24, 2008, at her home in Bowie, Maryland. Butler was shot, and her residence was deliberately set on fire. Scott was charged in connection with her death, but the charge was later dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
- Karen Sherill Lofton, 45: Killed on January 26, 2009, inside her home on Southall Drive in Largo, Maryland. Karen, a nurse, was shot multiple times. Scott was charged with her murder, although the count was later dropped under the plea agreement.
- Karissa Olivia Lofton, 16: Killed with her mother on January 26, 2009, in Largo, Maryland. Karissa called 911 after being shot but died before she could be rescued. Scott was charged with her murder, but the charge was later dismissed as part of the negotiated resolution.
- Delores Renee DeWitt, 42: Killed on or shortly before March 16, 2009, in Largo, Maryland. Delores was strangled, removed from her home and placed inside a stolen vehicle that was set on fire. Scott entered an Alford plea to her murder and received a lengthy prison sentence.
- Ebony DeWitt, 20: Killed with her mother on or shortly before March 16, 2009, in Largo, Maryland. Ebony was strangled and found inside the same burning stolen vehicle. Scott entered an Alford plea to her murder.
The Investigation and Scott’s Identification
The investigation into Scott did not begin with a direct forensic match from one of the murder scenes. Instead, law enforcement officers uncovered his activities while investigating stolen firearms and the extensive series of home invasions. A federal informant purchased a firearm linked to Scott, giving authorities grounds to examine his home, vehicles, computers and personal property.
During searches connected to the federal investigation, officers recovered stolen weapons and property associated with earlier burglaries. Digital records and other evidence revealed the scale of Scott’s criminal activity. Investigators also found information suggesting that he had researched victims and selected homes in advance rather than choosing them impulsively.
Scott’s computer knowledge and attention to detail had allowed him to remain unidentified through numerous offenses. He reportedly kept records of addresses and potential targets. His work at a UPS facility was significant because prosecutors believed he was able to observe shipping information and learn which households received valuable merchandise. The investigation showed that his outwardly ordinary life concealed a carefully organized pattern of predatory conduct.
Federal Conviction
Scott was first prosecuted in federal court for crimes arising from the burglaries and home invasions. A federal jury convicted him of offenses that included armed home invasion, carjacking, firearms violations and the production of child pornography. The evidence demonstrated that he had participated in more than 50 burglaries and several armed invasions in which residents were threatened, restrained or robbed.
On January 11, 2012, Scott was sentenced to 100 years in federal prison. The sentence ensured that he would remain incarcerated even before the state murder prosecution was resolved. Authorities described the federal case as the dismantling of a violent and sophisticated criminal operation that had terrorized Prince George’s County for years.
Murder Trial and Alford Plea
Scott was prosecuted in state court for the murders of Delores and Ebony DeWitt. His first trial ended in a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Prosecutors prepared to try him again, relying on circumstantial evidence that connected him to the DeWitt home, the stolen car and the broader series of carefully planned invasions.
On September 25, 2013, Scott entered an Alford plea to two counts of first-degree murder. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not expressly admit committing the crime but acknowledges that prosecutors possess enough evidence to obtain a conviction. The court treated the plea as a conviction and sentenced Scott to 85 years in prison.
As part of the agreement, prosecutors dismissed the murder charges involving Vilma Butler, Karen Lofton and Karissa Lofton. Officials explained that the arrangement spared the victims’ families from enduring several additional trials while ensuring that Scott would never be released. Although only the DeWitt murders resulted in state murder convictions, authorities publicly identified Scott as the person responsible for all five deaths.
Methods and Selection of Victims
Scott’s offenses were marked by surveillance, preparation and efforts to remove evidence. He chose homes in familiar Prince George’s County communities, entered through windows or other vulnerable access points and used masks and gloves to conceal himself. When residents were present, he controlled them with firearms and restraints. When murder occurred, he attempted to disguise the crimes through fire, cleaning agents or the movement of bodies.
The victims did not appear to have meaningful personal relationships with Scott. Investigators believed opportunity, access and information about their homes influenced his choices. Several women were attacked in houses where Scott expected to find valuables or believed he could overpower the occupants. The repeated targeting of mothers and daughters led the press to describe him as the “Mother-Daughter Killer.”
The cases also demonstrated a progression in violence. Scott’s early crimes centered on stealing property from unoccupied homes. He later invaded residences while families were inside, restrained victims and threatened their lives. By 2008 and 2009, the criminal pattern included murder and deliberate attempts to burn bodies or crime scenes.
Impact on Prince George’s County
The killings created widespread fear across Prince George’s County. The victims lived in ordinary suburban neighborhoods where residents had previously felt secure. The similarity between the Lofton and DeWitt murders caused police to warn the public to inspect windows and doors, monitor alarm systems and report missing keys or suspicious activity.
The deaths of five women left several families grieving while investigators worked through an enormous number of burglary reports, forensic examinations and interviews. Karen and Delores had dedicated themselves to nursing, and Karissa and Ebony were young women whose lives were only beginning. Vilma Butler’s death remained part of the same devastating pattern of invasion, violence and fire.
Legacy of the Case
Jason Thomas Scott’s case became one of the most disturbing criminal investigations in modern Prince George’s County history. His education, steady employment and apparently conventional background allowed him to move through the community without attracting the suspicion commonly associated with a violent offender. At the same time, he maintained detailed knowledge of potential targets and carried out a large number of organized property crimes.
Scott remains imprisoned under sentences that make his release effectively impossible. His federal sentence addressed the extensive burglaries, home invasions, firearms crimes and other offenses, while his state sentence punished the murders of Delores and Ebony DeWitt. The dismissal of the remaining murder charges did not amount to a declaration of innocence; it was part of a plea arrangement designed to provide finality and prevent the need for more trials.
The investigation showed how seemingly separate burglaries, fires and homicides could be connected through patterns of behavior and evidence recovered from an offender’s wider criminal activity. Scott’s eventual capture ended a prolonged period of fear, but it could not restore the five women whose deaths authorities attributed to him. Their names remain central to the case and to the lasting memory of the violence that struck their families and communities.
