Murders at 722 Lester Street

Jesse Dodson of Memphis had been out of prison for only a few short weeks in 2008 after serving a 14-year bid for murder when he fatally shot and stabbed eight family members inside their Lester Street home. Six of them died. The victims included Jesse’s own brother and his nieces and nephews.

A Grizzly Scene at 722 Lester Street

On March 2, 2008, Memphis police found a grizzly scene at 722 Lester Street. Responding to a 9-1-1 call, MPD found the bodies of six individuals in what has been described as the “Worst massacre in Memphis, Tennessee, history.” The four adult victims were slain in the living room:

• Cecil Dodson, 30, suffered from eight gunshot wounds, one each to his head, chest, right leg, and neck, and four additional shots in his left leg.
• Marissa Williams, 27, was the girlfriend of Cecil Dotson and mother of the children. She sustained five gunshot wounds, one each to the head, abdomen, chest, left leg, and right leg.
• Hollis Seals, 33, a friend visiting the home, suffered a gunshot wound to the mouth and two shots to the chest.
• Shindri Robinson, 22, the girlfriend of Seals, was struck by four bullets, three striking her left leg and a fourth in her right leg.

In the back bedroom, police found the bodies of Cecil’s children, 4-year-old Cemario and 2-year-old Cecil II. Both kids had been stabbed to death. Cemario also suffered severe blunt force trauma. Cecil II was stabbed seven times, most of them to the head.

Two more of Cecil’s children, 5-year-old Cedric and 2-month-old Ceniyah had all been stabbed but survived the attack.

Inside the bathroom, police found 9-year-old Cecil “CJ” lying in the bathtub with a knife lodged in his skull. CJ, who had laid in the bathtub for over 40 hours by now, clung to life.

The sheer level of violence led police to suspect the murders were gang-related. Both Cecil and his brother Jesse had affiliations with local street gangs. Jesse spoke to police after the murders admitting as much.

Jesse gave police the names of a few members of the Gangster Disciples street gang whom he suspected could have wanted to hurt his brother Cecil and the kids.

Uncle Junior Stabbed Me

Detectives soon learned that CJ survived the attack. The case took a shocking turn when CJ identified the killer as “Uncle Junior,” aka Jesse Dodson. The uncle of all five kids and brother of Cecil, Jesse

On March 8, six days after the murders, Jesse confessed to the brutal mass murder of six people and the attempted murder of three of his nieces and nephews. He brutally beat and stabbed the children.

“I just started shooting,” Jesse told shocked detectives after learning CJ survived and had identified him as the killer.

Jesse claimed that he and Cecil had been arguing all day long while they were out. When they returned to the Lester Street home, Cecil reached for a gun, Jesse claimed. At that point, Jesse said he defended himself and shot his brother. He murdered the other people in the house because they were witnesses to Cecil’s murder.

Dodson Sentenced to Death Six Times

He was charged with six counts of murder although he later recanted his confession, saying police coerced him into the confession.

The jury saw just three photos from that gruesome day. Combined with the testimony of the surviving children and other evidence, the jury found Jesse guilty of the murders. He was sentenced to six death sentences plus an additional 120-years for the attempted murders of the children.

Jesse had been released from prison on parole seven months before the brutal murders. He was sentenced to 18 years behind bars on a murder conviction at that time.

Jesse continues to maintain his innocence in the murders of his brother and family.

Resources & More Information:

https://wreg.com/news/lester-street-survivors-sit-down-with-stephanie-scurlock/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALGVGGa0FjI