Man held over US family killings

Jessie L Dotson was arrested on Friday, five days after the dead and wounded victims were found in a house in the city's low-income Binghampton area.

The three survivors, including a 10-month-old, were critically injured.

The dead, most of whom had been shot, included the arrested man's brother Cecil, the children's father.

Mr Dotson confessed to the crimes in an affidavit, say police, who believe he killed his brother in an argument and then tried to kill all the witnesses.

"He tried to kill everyone in the house," police Lt Joe Scott said.

"He thought everyone in the house was dead."

One of the surviving children "implicated Jessie Dotson as the person responsible", the affidavit said.

The suspect was released from prison in January after serving 14 years for second-degree murder.

Stabbed

At least one of the children, all under the age of 12, had been stabbed, police said.

Mr Dotson, 33, was charged with six counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder.

The dead adults were identified as Marissa Rene Williams, 26, the mother of four of Cecil's children, Hollis Seals, 33, and Shindri Roberson, 25.

Police identified the dead children as Cemario Dotson, four, and Cecil Dotson, two.

Officers forced their way into the house after being alerted by a relative who called on Monday evening but got no answer.

They found some of the dead in the living room while others were found in bedrooms.