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The Unusual Suspect Dateline segment on NBC delves into the investigations of two heinous crimes that were committed in Prince George's County, Maryland. During only two months in 2009, two mother-daughter couples—Karen and Karissa Lofton, then Delores and Ebony Dewitt—were brutally murdered in distinct, but eerily similar incidents.
The viciousness, premeditation, and absence of discernible motive kept the public anxious and law enforcement stumped.
The series chronicles the diligent efforts of detectives as they piece together the puzzle, and the trail ultimately leads to one suspect: Jason Thomas Scott. From interviews, case files, and forensic examination, Dateline pieces together the timeline and describes the intricate processes involved in tracking down and prosecuting a man thought to have intimidated a community quietly.
Here are 5 harrowing details about two Maryland mother-daughter murders
1) A Desperate 911 call—Then silence in the Lofton Home
On January 26, 2009, 16-year-old Karissa Lofton called 911 in a panic, reporting that she and her mother had been shot. Officers arrived at Karissa's Largo, Maryland, residence to find Karissa and Karen dead. The alarm system had been disabled, and there were no signs of breaking.
It was thought that a side window served as the entrance. No DNA, no fingerprints, and no signs of burglary were discovered by investigators. The absence of forensic evidence made the progress tough, and the case remained open for years. Dateline goes on to describe how the initial days of this case were replete with frustration and many leads.
2) In the Dewitt case, a burning car and a bleached crime scene
Only a few weeks later, on March 16, 2009, another mother and daughter, Delores Dewitt and 20-year-old Ebony Dewitt, went missing. They were discovered close to their house in a burning car. Both were strangled. In their house, police officers detected a crime scene, including bleach, which meant an attempt to eliminate forensic traces.
This time, the murderer had attempted to burn it all down—bodies, evidence, and everything. The blaze was intentional. Dateline reports that this second case had so many similarities with the Lofton murders that authorities started looking into the idea of a serial killer.
3) Jason Thomas Scott: From UPS worker to noteworthy individual
The probe into residential burglaries would ultimately result in authorities targeting Jason Thomas Scott. Scott, in his late 20s during the time of the crimes, was employed at UPS and gained access to shipping information, something prosecutors later said he used to determine targets.
He was first targeted by a co-conspirator arrested for a different burglary investigation.
Objects associated with multiple crimes—such as computers, records, and weapons—were found on properties linked to Scott. Surveillance equipment and signs of counter-surveillance further raised suspicion. As Dateline explains, Scott's logistics background and his seeming fascination with police procedure enabled him to avoid suspicion for months.
4) A calculated pattern: No random acts here
Scott's supposed method was thorough. Investigators outlined how he deactivated alarm systems, employed bleach to destroy evidence of his presence, and even employed tools to intercept police radio. Federal court documents state that he had researched the way police respond to crime scenes and adapted accordingly.
Dateline points out the extent of this planning, combined with the violence and the personal nature of the crimes, which caused the police to feel as though they weren't facing an opportunistic offender, but rather someone who knew how to clean up his trail.
The crimes were not only murder, but also a series of burglaries, break-ins, and other crimes.
5) The legal conclusion: Multiple charges, but a few questions are left unanswered
In the Lofton case, Jason Thomas Scott was never charged. He did enter an Alford plea in 2013 to the Delores and Ebony Dewitt murders, which permitted him to state that he was not guilty while admitting prosecutors had sufficient evidence against him for conviction. He was sentenced to 85 years in that matter.
In addition, Scott was also sentenced to 100 years in federal prison for a string of offenses, including armed burglary, home break-ins, and child por*ography possession.
Dateline recaps the court process and reaction from the public regarding the reality that only one of the mother-daughter homicides resulted in official charges filed against him, leaving the case of Lofton officially unsolved to date.
NBC's Dateline series The Unusual Suspect brings such cases to life with clarity and detail, showing the emotional impact of the crime while emphasizing the behind-the-scenes investigation that is done.
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The program poses questions that still plague us regarding motive, method, and the limitations of forensic science in the face of a suspect who knows exactly how to hide.
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