Joie Dawes murdered mom Martha Dozier, set house on fire: cops
Joie T. Dawes (Kingsport Police Department, Tennessee)
A 43-year-old Tennessee woman with a long criminal record in recent years is accused of murdering her own mother and setting fire to the victim’s home, just a year after she committed a parole violation.
Joie T. Dawes allegedly murdered Martha A. Dozier, 65, and set her Kingsport home on fire Saturday night – leaving the deceased woman’s body for firefighters to find.
“Just before 6:00 p.m. on March 11, 2023, first responders from both the Kingsport Fire Department and Police Department responded to an apartment building on the 2400 block of Westmoreland Avenue in Kingsport in relation to a building fire,” according to the Kingsport Police Department. “On arrival it was found that the house was fully involved. During the fire attack and subsequent search, KFD firefighters discovered and recovered a deceased adult female victim, later identified as Martha A. Dozier (aged 65).”
Authorities said a forensic autopsy would take place in Johnson City at the William L. Jenkins Forensic Center. However, police did not claim that the ongoing investigation means “absolutely no further details, including the cause of death or any possible motive, can or will be released at this time”.
Meanwhile, police officers have claimed Dawes was caught leaving the house just before the fire spread.
“After significant further investigation, including a thorough processing of the scene and a subsequent interview with Ms. Dawes, investigators were able to determine a probable cause to determine that Ms. Dawes was responsible for both the willful death of her mother and the willful hiring of the.” ensuing fire,” police said.
Authorities said Dawes was booked in the Kingsport City Jail but will be transferred to the Sullivan County Jail pending first-degree murder, aggravated arson and evidence tampering.
Sullivan County describes itself as “a beautiful and quiet area, great for relaxation and good for business too.”
Sullivan County court records reviewed by Law&Crime show that from 2019 to 2021, Joie T. Dawes faced multiple criminal charges ranging in severity from burglary and assault to court failure.
Records show she pled guilty to aggravated burglary, burglary of a vehicle, theft and possession of burglary tools in 2021. She apparently violated her parole in March 2022.
A year later, Dawes’ mother is dead.
The defendant faces another pending matter unrelated to the murder case, arising from an alleged 2021 Halloween grievous assault and vandalism incident. The case was only filed in early 2022 and is listed as “open”.
The city of Kingsport is also included in Hawkins County. A search of this court database shows that Joie Taylor Dawes was charged with particularly aggravated burglary and vandalism in July 2020.
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https://lawandcrime.com/crime/murder-suspect-daughter-with-lengthy-rap-sheet-allegedly-caught-exiting-tennessee-home-just-moments-after-blaze-engulfs-moms-residence/ Joie Dawes murdered mom Martha Dozier, set house on fire: cops