House of horror murderer facing death penalty

A man who murdered his brother and five others, including two young nephews, in a single bout of killing, was facing the death penalty today.

Jurors in Memphis, Tennessee, took less than two hours to convict Jessie Dotson (aged 35) of one of the city's worst mass killings. He showed no emotion, looking straight ahead as the verdict was announced.

Jurors concluded that Dotson shot dead his brother Cecil during a 2008 argument and then went after everyone else in the house with his gun and a knife to eliminate witnesses.

Three other children were stabbed but survived. One of them, Cecil Dotson Jr, now 11, was found in a bath with a four-inch knife blade embedded in his skull. He was a key prosecution witness against his uncle.

Also killed were four-year-old Cemario Dotson and two-year-old Cecil Dotson II; Cecil Dotson's girlfriend, Marissa Williams; and friends Hollis Seals and Shindri Robinson.

Defence lawyer Gerald Skahan said his client was not happy with the verdict, but understood it, as did the defence team. The defence was disappointed in the speed of the jury, said lawyer Marty McAfee.

Jessie Dotson had blamed the attack on gang members. He said he was at the house in Lester Street, a poor and crime-ridden part of Memphis, and hid under a bed during the killings. He said he did not report them to police because he feared for his life.

But prosecutors put his nephew Cecil, who was nine at the time of the attack on the stand last week. He told the court that "Uncle Junior" shot his father and then attacked him with a knife. Another survivor, eight-year-old Cedric Dotson, also gave evidence against his uncle.

"CJ solved it," said prosecutor Ray Lepone, who said the family was pleased with the verdict.

"He had the courage to come in here and point out his uncle."

The trial provided a glimpse into the world of Memphis gangs, with explanations of hierarchies and discussions of death violations - actions that result in killing as punishment.

More than 460 exhibits included knife blades, bullet casings, and grisly colour photos that showed bodies and blood-soaked walls, furniture and carpets. Police officers said the March 2, 2008 attack left the most gruesome crime scene they had seen.

The jury will decide beginning today if Dotson should be sentenced to death by injection.

Authorities said Dotson, who served prison time for murder and was released about seven months before the killings, escaped from the house by riding off on a child's bicycle. They introduced a confession to police and said he also confessed to his mother days after the bodies were found.

Dotson threatened suicide as the investigation progressed, saying: "They're going to put this on me," the court heard.

The defence argued the massacre was committed by gang members who were angry at Cecil Dotson and seeking to punish him for telling police that one of his fellow "Gangster Disciples" had drugs in the apartment where he was staying.