Baylor Basketball Murder The Loss Of A Budding Star

In 2003, the Baylor University men’s basketball team suffered an irreparable loss when Patrick Dennehy, a first-year college recruit from Santa Clara, California, was tragically murdered by his teammate Carlton Dotson. 

Before Dennehy joined Baylor’s NCAA team, he was a standout player at Saint Francis High School; his freshman year at the University of New Mexico saw him appear in 33 games with one start and averaged 2.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. 

Devastatingly, Dennehy never got to show off his skill set on a collegiate stage as he was robbed of the opportunity to do so by a senseless act of violence.

Brandon Dennehy undoubtedly experienced tremendous growth in his sophomore year of college.

He became the go-to player for the New Mexico basketball team, starting in 28 of the 30 games he played and averaging a double-double with 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. 

It seemed as though Dennehy had only started to scratch the surface of his capabilities, so it was no surprise when he chose to transfer to Baylor in 2002. 

After redshirting during his first year with the team and dedicating an entire summer working tirelessly on his craft, all signs pointed towards Dennehy having the opportunity to make a big impact ahead of him.

The repercussions of Daniel Dennehy’s death were felt in a major way, with a preliminary autopsy report determining that he died from gunshot wounds to the head. 

What happened to Carlton Dotson?

An informant had mentioned that Dennehy was shot and killed by Carlton Dotson during an argument while they were using guns. 

Unexpectedly, five days before his trial date, Dotson pleaded guilty to killing Dennehy on June 8, 2005, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. 

Despite this long amount of time, he would be eligible to apply for parole after serving half the sentence in 2021.

The case of Carlton Dotson is a tragedy that continues to this day, despite the fact that Dotson pled guilty to killing his former Baylor University basketball teammate, Patrick Dennehy. 

Despite writing a letter at the start of 2006 which sought permission to appeal his sentence, he was not allowed to do so as it ruled he had forfeited his right when entering the guilty plea. 

Dotson is currently residing in the John B. Connally Unit in Kennedy, TX.

The June 2003 death of Dennehy brought sorrow and shock for both the bereaving family and for fellow members of the Baylor Basketball community who memorialized him on August 28 of that same year, just months after his untimely passing. 

Although he wasn’t at the university very long, Dennehy made a lasting impact that carried through even today.

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