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Former Baylor player gets 35 years for killing teammate
Associated Press
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=-3]Chronicle file photo [/size][/font]
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=-2]Carlton Dotson spent more than two months in a state mental hospital and was treated with anti-psychotic drugs after he was found incompetent to stand trial last year. [/size][/font]
WACO - A former Baylor University basketball player was sentenced to 35 years in prison today, a week after he unexpectedly pleaded guilty to murdering his teammate two years ago. Carlton Dotson, 23, faced from five years to life in prison for killing Patrick Dennehy, 21, who was missing for six weeks before his body was found in field a few miles from campus in July 2003. On June 8, five days before his murder trial was to start, Dotson pleaded guilty without a sentencing deal with prosecutors.
Instead of hearing from witnesses today, state District Judge Ralph Strother made his decision based on documents filed by prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Part of the prosecution's report included FBI documents detailing Dotson's confession, in which he said "a higher power told him to talk to the FBI" and told authorities where to look for Dennehy. The body was found a few days later.
Dotson told agents that he thought people were trying to kill him because "he is Jesus, the son of God." Dotson, who moved in with Dennehy in May 2003, said he had received threatening telephone calls and that the two bought guns for protection.
He told FBI agents that on June 11, Dennehy pointed a gun at him after the pair went to gravel pits for target practice. When Dennehy's gun jammed, Dotson said "Father, please forgive me," and shot his friend. He then went to pack his belongings, called a relative to wire him money and drove home to Maryland, throwing the gun in a lake along the way.
But the autopsy doesn't support his self-defense claim. Dennehy was shot twice: once above the right ear and once behind it toward the back of the head.
Last fall, Dotson was found incompetent to stand trial and was sent to a state mental hospital. He was released and returned to jail in February after a hospital psychologist said Dotson was competent but must continue to take anti-psychotic medication.
The psychologist also said Dotson's accounts of hearing voices and seeing things were "suspect."
A few weeks before Dotson's plea, his attorneys said they would not pursue an insanity defense.
Meanwhile, Baylor is waiting on the expected summer release of an NCAA report on whether the school faces more sanctions in addition to Baylor's self-imposed penalties.
Allegations of NCAA violations surfaced after Dennehy's disappearance and death, and men's coach Dave Bliss and athletic director Tom Stanton later resigned.
An internal Baylor investigative committee later found that Bliss improperly paid up to $40,000 in tuition for Dennehy and another player, and that the coaching staff didn't report players' failed drug tests. Bliss also asked players and an assistant coach to lie to investigators by saying Dennehy paid his tuition by dealing drugs.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory2/3226626
Associated Press
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=-3]Chronicle file photo [/size][/font]
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=-2]Carlton Dotson spent more than two months in a state mental hospital and was treated with anti-psychotic drugs after he was found incompetent to stand trial last year. [/size][/font]
WACO - A former Baylor University basketball player was sentenced to 35 years in prison today, a week after he unexpectedly pleaded guilty to murdering his teammate two years ago. Carlton Dotson, 23, faced from five years to life in prison for killing Patrick Dennehy, 21, who was missing for six weeks before his body was found in field a few miles from campus in July 2003. On June 8, five days before his murder trial was to start, Dotson pleaded guilty without a sentencing deal with prosecutors.
Instead of hearing from witnesses today, state District Judge Ralph Strother made his decision based on documents filed by prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Part of the prosecution's report included FBI documents detailing Dotson's confession, in which he said "a higher power told him to talk to the FBI" and told authorities where to look for Dennehy. The body was found a few days later.
Dotson told agents that he thought people were trying to kill him because "he is Jesus, the son of God." Dotson, who moved in with Dennehy in May 2003, said he had received threatening telephone calls and that the two bought guns for protection.
He told FBI agents that on June 11, Dennehy pointed a gun at him after the pair went to gravel pits for target practice. When Dennehy's gun jammed, Dotson said "Father, please forgive me," and shot his friend. He then went to pack his belongings, called a relative to wire him money and drove home to Maryland, throwing the gun in a lake along the way.
But the autopsy doesn't support his self-defense claim. Dennehy was shot twice: once above the right ear and once behind it toward the back of the head.
Last fall, Dotson was found incompetent to stand trial and was sent to a state mental hospital. He was released and returned to jail in February after a hospital psychologist said Dotson was competent but must continue to take anti-psychotic medication.
The psychologist also said Dotson's accounts of hearing voices and seeing things were "suspect."
A few weeks before Dotson's plea, his attorneys said they would not pursue an insanity defense.
Meanwhile, Baylor is waiting on the expected summer release of an NCAA report on whether the school faces more sanctions in addition to Baylor's self-imposed penalties.
Allegations of NCAA violations surfaced after Dennehy's disappearance and death, and men's coach Dave Bliss and athletic director Tom Stanton later resigned.
An internal Baylor investigative committee later found that Bliss improperly paid up to $40,000 in tuition for Dennehy and another player, and that the coaching staff didn't report players' failed drug tests. Bliss also asked players and an assistant coach to lie to investigators by saying Dennehy paid his tuition by dealing drugs.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory2/3226626