Joshua Dotson is a Memphis serial killer who murdered five people between November 2019 and June 2020 and is now serving a combined 261-year prison sentence. He was 24 at his final sentencing in February 2025, and during his 2024 trial he took the stand against his lawyer’s advice, called himself a “serial killer,” and told the court, “I’m Michael Myers.”1Fox 13 Memphis. Memphis Man Admits to Additional Murders During Trial Testimony
The Five Victims
Dotson’s killings stretched over about seven months in Memphis. The first was 18-year-old Divieon Parker, shot on November 17, 2019, in the parking lot of the South Memphis Market at 1430 Elvis Presley Boulevard. Parker was pronounced dead at the scene.2WREG. Serial Killer Pleads Guilty to 3 More Murders
On May 24, 2020, Dotson shot and killed Reginald Anderson and Renita Bennett near Jesse Turner Park on South Bellevue.2WREG. Serial Killer Pleads Guilty to 3 More Murders Three counts of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon were later filed in connection with those shootings.3Shelby County District Attorney. Self-Proclaimed Serial Killer Sentenced to Additional 159 Years for Triple Homicide
Less than three weeks later, on June 12, 2020, he killed his former girlfriend, 19-year-old Jamesha Covson, and her unborn child. He fired through a closed door at her home in the 1200 block of Quinn Avenue, and she died at the hospital.2WREG. Serial Killer Pleads Guilty to 3 More Murders4Local Memphis. Memphis Man Sentenced to 159 More Years in Prison for Three Additional Murders After Pleading Guilty Dotson later said he killed Covson because she had informed police about his earlier murders.5Fox 13 Memphis. Self-Proclaimed Serial Killer Sentenced to 261 Years in Prison
The “I’m Michael Myers” Trial
Dotson went to trial in August 2024 for the murders of Covson and her unborn child. Over his defense attorney’s objection, he testified in his own defense. On the stand he declared himself a “serial killer,” told the court “I’m Michael Myers,” threatened a witness, and confessed to three additional pending murder cases.1Fox 13 Memphis. Memphis Man Admits to Additional Murders During Trial Testimony
On August 22, 2024, the jury took 45 minutes to convict him of two counts of first-degree murder.1Fox 13 Memphis. Memphis Man Admits to Additional Murders During Trial Testimony
How the Sentence Reached 261 Years
The sentencing for the Covson convictions took place on Halloween, October 31, 2024. Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Carolyn L. Addison imposed two consecutive 51-year terms, totaling 102 years. She called the case “one of the saddest situations I’ve seen in my career” and told Dotson, “You will never show remorse for the loss you’ve brought. The jury got it right.”6Law & Crime. Man Who Called Himself a Serial Killer Is Sentenced on Halloween
Addison noted that Dotson had been caught sleeping in court multiple times, saying he “was getting his rest while we were getting justice.” She described his conduct in custody as the worst she had seen in 20 years, citing “sadistic behaviors,” attacks on jail staff with improvised weapons, and conduct she called “sexually inexcusable” and “assaultive.” She also said his criminal record dated back to age 14.7Fox 13 Memphis. Self-Proclaimed Serial Killer Sentenced to Over 100 Years in Prison
On February 14, 2025, Dotson pleaded guilty to three more counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Divieon Parker, Renita Bennett, and Reginald Anderson, along with three counts of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. The plea added 159 years, consecutive to the earlier 102, bringing the total to 261 years. The Bennett and Anderson killings alone accounted for two consecutive 51-year terms.3Shelby County District Attorney. Self-Proclaimed Serial Killer Sentenced to Additional 159 Years for Triple Homicide4Local Memphis. Memphis Man Sentenced to 159 More Years in Prison for Three Additional Murders After Pleading Guilty
Assistant District Attorney Regina Lucreziano, who prosecuted the cases, said in a statement: “After five years, we are pleased to finally have justice for Dotson’s multiple victims. 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.”3Shelby County District Attorney. Self-Proclaimed Serial Killer Sentenced to Additional 159 Years for Triple Homicide
Not the Lester Street Killer
Readers searching the Dotson name in connection with Memphis murders sometimes mix two separate cases. Jessie Dotson, a different person, was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2008 Lester Street massacre, in which six people were killed, including two children, at a home in the Binghampton neighborhood. The Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed those convictions and death sentences in 2014.8Tennessee Courts. Supreme Court Affirms Convictions and Death Sentences Whether Joshua Dotson and Jessie Dotson are related is not established in the available reporting.