Hunting down the 'man in brown': 'Dateline' investigates the brutal murders of Karen and Karissa Lofton
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MARYLAND: 'Dateline: The Smoking Gun' brings a new gruelling double murder of a mother-daughter duo which later exposed a serial killer in 2009. Maryland native Karen Lofton and her daughter Karissa were killed inside their home a few months before Delores Dewitt and her daughter Ebony were found viciously murdered inside a burning car.
Jason Scott broke into Lofton's house and murdered the mother-and-daughter duo. The initial investigation called the incident double homicide as no valuables were taken and the perpetrator left no fingerprints or DNA evidence. Three months into the investigation, detectives decided to restart from scratch, meticulously combing through the evidence again to ensure no vital leads had slipped through the cracks. As they delved deeper, investigators also examined a recent wave of burglaries to see if they were connected to the murders. The police later uncovered that Jason Thomas Scott, 27, had been arrested for trafficking firearms as part of an illicit ring. It was later revealed that Jason worked for UPS, and lived with his parents just a stone's throw away from both the Lofton and Dewitt households, drawing a chilling line between his life and the tragedies that unfolded.
Who were Karen and Karissa Lofton?
Karen Lofton was a devoted school nurse living in Prince George's County, Maryland. Her daughter, Karissa, just 16 years old and working at the Golden Corral near the Capital Centre, was at home with her mother when tragedy struck. In that unsuspecting moment, an intruder shattered their lives forever.
In a desperate attempt to escape, Karen was fatally shot while trying to hide in a corner. At the same time, Karissa, terrified and cornered in her bed, dialled 911 in a frantic bid for help. As she whispered her urgent plea to the dispatcher, she was aware that the threat still loomed in their home.
Jason Scott was sentenced to 100 years in prison for multiple charges
Karen and Karissa Lofton's murderer Jason Scott faced around 97 years for 11 felonies that included up to 50 burglaries and nine home invasions in Prince George's County. In one case, prosecutors said he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl.
However, a federal judge in Greenbelt deemed 97 years insufficient for his offenses and sentenced him to a full century behind bars. Scott exploited his job at UPS to gather intel on his victims, using their personal information to track them down. Investigators also uncovered that he was involved in stealing firearms and selling them illegally on the streets.
Where is Lofton's murder detective Bernie Nelson?
Detective Bernie Nelson was behind the investigation of Karen and Karissa Lofton's double murder as well as other mother-daughter murders. He has spent his entire career working for the Prince George's County Police Department and still lives in Maryland.
He attended Friendly High School and the University of Maryland, College Park, and has been a homicide detective since 1994. However, Bernie has appeared in multiple documentaries revolving around the infamous 'mother-daughter killer' and would also appear in the upcoming episode of 'Dateline: The Smoking Gun' to provide the inside details of the case.
Uncover Lofton's tragic murder in 'Dateline: The Smoking Gun' on Thursday, October 17 at 8 pm on Oxygen
