BABY STARVED TO DEATH, FATHER ON TRIAL IN KINGSTON
Dr. Steven Cogswell, who performed the autopsy on two-year-old Clifford Dotson, will present graphic photos and testimony today in a Roane County courtroom, as the State presents the last of its evidence against the child’s father. Matthew Dotson is on trial for first-degree murder in the toddler’s death in 2012.
According to 9th District Attorney General Russell Johnson, the child’s mother, Amanda Dotson, pleaded guilty to facilitation of murder in September and is serving a 40-year sentence. She testified in court during her estranged husband’s trial, along with doctors, nurses and witnesses.
When Clifford Dotson died in 2012, authorities said he weighed just 12 pounds. An autopsy determined the toddler didn’t get sufficient food or water, and died from severe malnutrition.
During the investigation into Clifford’s death, police removed his older brother, Luke, from the home.