Naman Shrestha
In 2003, when a promising college basketball player named Patrick Dennehy vanished suddenly in Waco, Texas, his family and friends joined the police in search of the missing man. As their worst nightmare came true with the discovery of his remains, the homicide investigation uncovered the chilling truth about someone close to Patrick and a dark college basketball scandal. All the intricate details of the case and the investigation that ensued are covered in the episode titled ‘A Killer Recruit’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Game Day Murders,’ which also features exclusive and insightful interviews with Patrick’s loved ones and the officials who worked hard to solve the case.
Patrick Dennehy Was Found Dead More Than a Month After His Disappearance
Born on January 28, 1982, in Santa Clara, California, Patrick James Dennehy was the beloved son of Valorie Brabazon, who raised him alongside his stepfather, Brian Brabazon, in the Bay Area. After graduating from South Bay High School, he attended the University of New Mexico. Following the completion of his sophomore year in 2002, he transferred to Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he played on the university’s basketball team. Patrick was looking forward to showcasing his skills during the 2003-2004 season when fate intervened, shattering all his future dreams.
On the fateful day of June 12, 2003, the college student vanished into thin air. When his mother and stepfather didn’t receive any calls from Patrick on Father’s Day, they became concerned. Moreover, upon returning from a trip, his roommate, Chris Turk, also noticed that Patrick’s dogs had been left starving for days. On June 19, 2003, he was finally reported missing by his family to the Waco Police Department. During the search for the missing man, on June 25, the investigators found his abandoned Chevrolet Tahoe, without the license plates, in the parking lot of a strip mall in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
About a month later, on July 25, 2003, the Waco Police Department discovered Patrick’s badly decomposed remains in a gravel pit, right outside Waco. His torso and head were found in two different locations. After the medical examiners conducted an autopsy, it was determined that 21-year-old Patrick had endured gunshot wounds to his head, which was the cause of his death. Thus, a homicide investigation was immediately launched to get to the bottom of the case.
Patrick Dennehy’s Killer Reportedly Confessed His Crimes to a Cousin
As part of the investigation, the authorities dug deeper into Patrick Dennehy’s life to understand the circumstances surrounding his untimely demise. By gathering information through witness statements and other evidence, the detectives learned that in the summer of 2003, Patrick and his roommate/teammate, Carlton Dotson, who was a North Dorchester High School graduate, purchased a couple of pistols and a rifle and began practicing firing them at a firing range at a farm near Waco, as they were scared for their safety. According to one of Patrick’s friends, he was scared by threats made by two teammates against Carlton.
As per investigative reports, a police informant learned that Carlton told his cousin he shot and killed Patrick after a heated argument broke out between them while practicing shooting in the Waco area. The suspect reportedly claimed that Patrick initially pointed the 9 mm gun at him, but he ended up shooting Patrick instead. According to the informant, Carlton fled the scene and disposed of the guns on his way home to Hurlock, Maryland. It is reported that his uncle denied Carlton’s involvement in the shooting. On July 21, 2003, after collecting enough evidence against him, the police arrested and charged him with Patrick’s homicide. The following month, Carlton was officially indicted on murder charges.
Carlton Dotson Has Been Out on Parole Since Late 2024
More than a year later, on October 28, 2004, Carlton Dotson was pronounced incompetent to stand trial and ordered to be admitted to a mental hospital until his competence was reevaluated in a few months. According to psychiatrists, the accused was having hallucinations and going through psychosis. A few months later, in February 2005, he was deemed competent to stand trial and returned to jail to await his trial. Five days prior to his scheduled trial, Carlton pleaded guilty to the charges against him on June 8, 2005. A few days later, on June 15, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
After he tried to appeal his conviction in December 2005, the judge ruled that he lost his right to appeal by pleading guilty. Having served more than 15 years of his sentence, his parole was denied multiple times in late 2020, late 2021, early 2022, and early 2023. Finally, his parole was approved on March 25, 2024. Months later, on November 19, Carlton was released on parole to McLennan County as part of a Super Intensive Supervision Program. By the summer of 2025, he was back in Waco, Texas, after his parole, and leading a life away from the limelight.
