Death penalty sought for murder, robbery suspect

Kim Smith

Friday, March 3, 2000 | 10:12 a.m.

A 41-year-old man accused of beating an elderly woman to death in December and later robbing another could receive the death penalty.

Deputy District Attorney Steve Owens told District Judge Mark Gibbons Thursday that his office will seek the ultimate punishment for Anthony Dotson.

Thursday was Dotson's arraignment on charges he bludgeoned Doris Bair, 79, to death in her Bracken Avenue home and robbed 87-year-old Kathryn Waldman a few days later.

Dotson pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, robbery, first-degree kidnapping and burglary during the hearing. The robbery, murder and kidnapping charges have been enhanced because the victim was at least 65 years of age.

If Dotson is convicted but not given the death penalty, any sentence he gets could be doubled because of his victims' ages.

Metro Police allege that Waldman was hurt Dec. 17 when Dotson took her car and purse from her in the parking lot of University Medical Center. Police had been looking for Dotson for three days in connection with Bair's death.

Bair's body was found by police after neighbors called to report they hadn't seen her in some time. An autopsy revealed she died from several blows to the head and most likely died on Dec. 12.

Several items were taken from her home, including her 1991 Mercury, which was later found downtown.

Police have said that a day or so before she died, Bair called police to report a prowler was ringing her front doorbell and knocking on her back door. She also said that a few minutes later, the lights in her house went off, apparently the result of a circuit breaker being switched off.

Dotson, who has a 1987 California robbery conviction, was arrested near UMC after the robbery with Waldman's car and purse, according to Police.Gibbons scheduled Dotson's trial for Oct. 9.