California man sought in woman’s death

Thursday, Dec. 16, 1999 | 10:07 a.m.

Metro Police were searching Wednesday for a 41-year-old California man in the bludgeoning death of a 79-year-old woman.

Police would only say they have a cooperating witness that led them to their search for Anthony "Tony" Dotson. Police said they don't know of any connection between the victim and the suspect.

Doris Bair's neighbors called police Monday afternoon when they hadn't seen Bair for a couple of days. Police found Bair dead on the floor of the house she has lived in for 50 years.

An autopsy determined Bair died from several blows to the head and most likely died sometime Sunday. Detectives found signs of a struggle inside Bair home and suspect she died during a robbery or burglary.

Several items were taken from her home, including her car.

Police found her car, a 1991 white Mercury, in the downtown area Tuesday.

There were no signs of forced entry into Bair's home, but officers were able to get in through a back door that was locked, but not pulled closed all the way.

"From what the neighbors said, the victim would never have opened the door to a stranger," said Metro homicide Lt. Wayne Petersen.

Police were investigating whether a prowler who knocked on Bair's door Friday night was connected to the killing. After Bair heard a knock on her back door, the lights went off in her house. She called police to report the prowler.

Police found that the circuit breakers in the outside electric box had been switched off by someone. The officer switched the power back on to her house and put a padlock on the box, Petersen said.