On December 4, 2023, at about 10:02 a.m. deputies in Ellis County responded to the 1000 block of Vinson Lane in Red Oak, Texas, and found 54-year-old Jess Deon Dotson unresponsive in his front yard. He was pronounced dead at the scene; deputies reported significant blood pooling and apparent gunshot wounds.

Investigators identified 33-year-old Yaralitza Dee Shaw, an acquaintance of Dotson, as a person of interest after witness interviews. Law enforcement located Shaw in Coppell, Texas; during questioning she confessed to the killing and was arrested and charged with murder, her bond set at $500,000. Dotson was born September 21, 1969, in Dallas and had lived around several Texas cities before working for Binswanger Glass Company and later Renfro Glass. He is survived by his mother Sandra Dotson, grandmother Magdalene Gajdica, and extended family; funeral services were held December 10 and 11, 2023, in Ferris.

Did anyone in the community have recent contact or information about Dotson or his movements on December 4?