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Man held in deaths of brother, 5 others in Memphis

  • Story Highlights
  • Jessie L. Dotson was recently released after serving 14 years in prison for murder
  • He was captured Friday night and faces six counts of first-degree murder
  • Four adults and two children were found dead; three children survived
  • Prosecutors say they are considering seeking the death penalty
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(CNN) -- Police have arrested a 33-year-old man accused of killing his brother and five other people, including two children, at a Memphis, Tennessee, home.

Jessie L. Dotson, who was recently released after serving 14 years in prison for murder, was captured Friday night.

He faces six counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Cecil Dotson, his 30-year-old brother; Hollis Seals, 33; Shindri Roberson, 20; Marissa Rene Williams, 26; and two children, said Memphis Director of Police Larry A. Godwin at a news conference Saturday.

Dotson will also be charged with the attempted murder of three other children -- ages 7, 4 and 10 months -- who received stab wounds and blunt force trauma, Godwin said.

Dotson's brother Cecil was the father of all the children, The Associated Press reported. Those who survived the attack were under police custody at a hospital, according to the AP.

The March 2 killings followed an argument between Jessie and Cecil Dotson, Godwin said.

Jessie Dotson shot his brother dead and went on to kill the others to try to cover up the crime, he said.

"[Dotson] thought everyone in the home was dead," Godwin said. "But as we all know, by the grace of God, three children had survived."

Prosecutors said they are considering seeking the death penalty against Dotson. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

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