Ben Oxley, a 36-year-old man living outside Minden, Nevada, was shot in his bed on February 21, 2008, and the Ben Oxley murder went unsolved for more than two years before investigators traced it to a custody-driven plot between his ex-wife, Dawn Oxley, and her 21-year-old boyfriend, James Matlean. Matlean pleaded guilty and is serving life without parole. Dawn was never charged with the killing after signing an immunity deal, though she later went to prison on unrelated drug charges.
The Shooting in Minden
Around 3:30 a.m. on February 21, 2008, Douglas County sheriff’s deputies were called to a home on Wildhorse Lane in the Johnson Lane community south of Minden.1Nevada Appeal. Arrest Made in 2008 Minden Killing of Ben Oxley Ben’s wife, Melissa Oxley, told deputies she had been awakened by a shotgun blast, smelled gun smoke, and found her husband unresponsive beside her. The front door of the home was open.2Record-Courier. Tearful Widow Testifies in Oxley Murder Ben had been shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other people were in the house: Melissa’s teenage brother, Craig, and Ben’s six-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, Alyssa. Alyssa told police she heard a door creak and saw a figure inside but could not tell if it was a man or a woman.3Oxygen. James Matlean Shot Ben Oxley in Own Bed Next to Wife
Why the Case Went Cold for Two Years
Sheriff Ron Pierini later acknowledged that a lack of evidence stalled the investigation for years, even with at least two investigators assigned full-time.1Nevada Appeal. Arrest Made in 2008 Minden Killing of Ben Oxley The murder weapon was never recovered.
Investigators looked first at Melissa. Her claim that she had slept through a shotgun blast fired inches from her struck them as thin, and three months in they learned she was the beneficiary of a $400,000 life insurance policy on her husband and had started dating again.3Oxygen. James Matlean Shot Ben Oxley in Own Bed Next to Wife Gunshot residue tests on Melissa and her brother came back negative, and detectives noted she never inquired about the insurance money. That line of inquiry faded.
The Ex-Wife, Her Boyfriend, and the Motive
Attention turned to Ben’s ex-wife, Dawn Oxley. The two had married in 1999 and divorced in 2004. Ben was granted primary custody of Alyssa, and Dawn was ordered to pay $250 a month in child support.2Record-Courier. Tearful Widow Testifies in Oxley Murder Their relationship stayed contentious. In June 2007, both were investigated in a mutual domestic battery case, though no charges followed.1Nevada Appeal. Arrest Made in 2008 Minden Killing of Ben Oxley
Dawn was living with a 21-year-old boyfriend, James Matlean. According to investigators, Dawn recruited Matlean to kill Ben. She drew a map of the house showing the layout and the bedroom where Ben slept, went with Matlean to buy shotgun shells, and showed him the bedroom in person beforehand.4Record-Courier. Man Admits Oxley Murder The stated motive was to regain custody of Alyssa and stop paying child support.
The Son Who Broke the Case
The break came from Dawn’s own son, Devon Mitchell, who was 15 at the time of the murder. Mitchell told investigators that on the night of February 20, 2008, he overheard his mother and Matlean drunkenly discussing killing Ben. “They wanted him dead,” Mitchell testified at a November 2010 preliminary hearing. He recalled his mother saying she wished Ben would die “in a random spontaneous burst of flame or for James Matlean to just go out and kill him.”5Record-Courier. Ex-Wife Has Immunity in Oxley Murder He went to bed between 11 p.m. and midnight and the next morning learned from police that Ben was dead. By the time he testified, Mitchell was 18 and serving in the Army at Fort Sam Houston.
On June 9, 2010, roughly 28 months after the killing, deputies arrested Matlean, then 23, and charged him with first-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon.1Nevada Appeal. Arrest Made in 2008 Minden Killing of Ben Oxley
Why Dawn Oxley Was Never Charged With Murder
Dawn Oxley was not charged with the murder. In February 2010, the Douglas County District Attorney’s office had signed an immunity agreement with her, giving her protection from prosecution in exchange for truthful testimony against Matlean.5Record-Courier. Ex-Wife Has Immunity in Oxley Murder The deal was signed by Chief Deputy District Attorney Tom Gregory, Dawn Oxley, and her attorney, Robert Morris. Its terms would void the agreement if she lied, withheld information, or gave evasive answers.
Whether she held up her end was disputed. At the preliminary hearing, her account clashed with her son’s; she said Devon was “mistaken” about what he overheard and denied any involvement. Judge Steven McMorris observed that Dawn had been “dancing around the edges of the truth and rather evasive” and warned she could still face first-degree murder charges if found untruthful.6Record-Courier. Matlean Heads to District Court in Oxley Murder Investigator Jonathan Storke testified that there was enough information to support charges against Dawn ranging from first-degree murder to solicitation, aiding and abetting, and accessory after the fact. Prosecutor Gregory called the immunity question “legally, a very complicated issue” and later said the agreement was “under review.”7Las Vegas Review-Journal. Man Enters Guilty Plea in 2008 Murder Dawn Oxley was never charged with murder or conspiracy.
Matlean’s Guilty Plea and Life Sentence
On December 20, 2011, James Matlean pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.4Record-Courier. Man Admits Oxley Murder At the plea hearing he said Dawn had asked him to kill Ben, drawn a diagram of the house, and shown him where to go. He also said Dawn had asked him to kill Melissa Oxley, but he fled after firing a single shot because he “got scared and ran out the door.”3Oxygen. James Matlean Shot Ben Oxley in Own Bed Next to Wife Matlean told investigators he had overheard someone talking about throwing the shotgun into the Carson River, but later admitted to a jail inmate that he had lied about the gun’s location.8vLex. Matlean v. Williams
Under the plea agreement, the state recommended life with the possibility of parole after 20 years on the murder charge, plus four to ten years for conspiracy. District Judge Michael Gibbons went further. On March 16, 2012, he sentenced Matlean to life without the possibility of parole for the murder, along with a 10-year term for conspiracy to kill Melissa Oxley.9Record-Courier. Life With No Parole: Matlean Sentenced in Oxley Murder Gregory called the outcome “very rewarding” and noted there is “no statute of limitations on murder,” an apparent reference to Dawn’s unresolved role.
Dawn Oxley’s Later Convictions
Dawn Oxley avoided prosecution for the murder but built a substantial record on other charges. In the two years after the killing she pleaded guilty to two counts of driving under the influence and two counts of domestic battery, and was arrested for possession of a dangerous drug and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.10Record-Courier. Probation Revoked for Murder Victim’s Ex-Wife Her probation was revoked in September 2010 after she admitted drinking vodka in violation of her release terms and pleaded guilty to another domestic battery charge.
In March 2011, she was arrested again, this time for using her 15-year-old daughter in multiple drug transactions involving prescription medications. She pleaded no contest in August 2011 to a charge of allowing a child to be present during the commission of a controlled substance violation, her first felony conviction. District Judge Dave Gamble sentenced her to 90 months in Nevada State Prison, with parole eligibility after 36 months.11Nevada Appeal. Dawn Oxley Sentenced to 90 Months on Drug Charges Oxygen reported that she was released in 2014.3Oxygen. James Matlean Shot Ben Oxley in Own Bed Next to Wife
Matlean’s Appeals
Matlean tried to overturn his conviction from prison. The Nevada Supreme Court affirmed on April 10, 2013, and denied a state post-conviction habeas petition on December 16, 2015.12CaseMine. Matlean v. Williams He then filed a federal habeas petition in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, arguing that his guilty plea was not knowing or voluntary because he was on medications at the time, that prosecutors breached the plea agreement by seeking a sentence beyond the recommendation, and that his defense attorney was ineffective for refusing to file a motion to withdraw the plea. In August 2018 the federal court dismissed several claims as untimely but allowed others to proceed. The case remained pending as of the most recent available filing, dated March 2020.8vLex. Matlean v. Williams Matlean is held at High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs, Nevada.13Sportskeeda. Where Are Dawn Oxley and James Matlean Now
Melissa and Alyssa Oxley After the Murder
Melissa raised Alyssa after Ben’s death. In public statements she said she made a deliberate choice early on that she and Alyssa would respond with compassion rather than let anger consume them, framing forgiveness as a step toward moving forward rather than as excusing what happened.14Today. Wife of Man Shot Beside Her in Bed Urges Forgiveness for Killer
After Matlean’s conviction, Alyssa asked to speak with the man who killed her father. She told him she had decided to forgive him and wanted him to have hope. Melissa supported that decision. She has also said Dawn Oxley bore responsibility for her role in the killing, saying she hoped “the truth just comes out” and that Dawn “should have a punishment for her part in it.”