An Oneida County man was sentenced to a total of 30 years to life in prison on Thursday for killing a 74-year-old Fulton County woman and setting her home on fire.

Anthony L. Dotson Jr., 25, of Yorkville, was convicted in July in the killing of Sara Stinnett on May 13, 2022 inside her home on State Route 67 in the town of Ephratah. Dotson then set Stinnett and the house on fire.

District Attorney Michael Poulin, who prosecuted the case with First Assistant James Riley, said Dotson had only spoken to Stinnett once while delivering packages on his route near her home.

Prosecutors said he strangled Stinnett, stabbed her, then used an accelerant and set her and her home on fire. Then, they said, he continued delivering packages.

He was convicted in July on charges that included murder, arson, strangulation and criminal possession of a weapon.

Fulton County Court Judge Michael Smrtic sentenced Dotson to 25 years to life on both the murder and arson charges and one year in prison on the weapons charge, which are to run concurrently. He also gave him 5 years in prison on the strangulation sentence to run consecutive to the other sentences.

The sentence came after an emotional victim impact statement from Stinnett’s daughter Kirian Lee, who said she has difficulty in her relationships because so much of her is mentally and emotionally consumed by the events of that day. Lee said she has terrifying scenarios in her mind about how her mother died.

“I think about the absolute terror she must have felt – the feeling of being completely alone, knowing that she would die in all-consuming pain and the absolute gripping sorrow that takes my breath,” Lee said.

Lee added that Dotson has not shown any remorse or shown he understands the gravity of the crime.

“No one besides that man sitting right there in this courtroom knows what happened that day,” she said.

Dotson was arrested after police linked blood found on Dotson’s shoes to Stinnett.

When Dotson was allowed to make a statement, he said he cannot begin to understand what Stinnett’s family is going through, but then said he did not do the crime.

Dotson claims his trial attorney, Devin Garramone of Utica, did not properly represent him.

“If I had even the slightest of a competent lawyer at trial, everyone would have seen that I’m innocent,” Dotson said. “My attorney allowed them to paint me as a monster. That is not true.”

Dotson’s new attorney, Kyle Davis, said he plans to immediately file an appeal.