Post Last Updates by Amit: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 @ 8:49 PM

In February 2008, Melissa Oxley was left devastated after discovering her husband, Benjamin “Ben” Oxley, had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The investigative spotlight shone on James Matlean, who was romantically involved with Ben’s former spouse, as the potential perpetrator. The show ‘While They Were Sleeping’ explores the details surrounding Ben’s tragic demise and the profound involvement of his ex-wife, Dawn Oxley, in the unfolding events. The couple, who met in the late 90s, were wed in 1999 and had a daughter, Alyssa. Their union, however, concluded with a divorce in 2004, and two years later, Ben married Melissa. After the dissolution of their marriage, Alyssa’s full custody was awarded to Ben, and Dawn was obligated to remit monthly child support, adding tension to their post-marital relationship. The grim discovery of Ben’s lifeless body by Melissa occurred around 3:30 AM on February 21, 2008, prompting her to make a distressing 911 call. Her initial suspicions veered towards an ex-boyfriend of Dawn’s, but he was eventually exonerated. As the case progressed, Dawn, now living with James, returned to the suspect pool.

Where are Dawn Oxley and James Matlean now?

As the inquiry deepened, the authorities began to notice discrepancies in the alibis given by Dawn and James, thereby intensifying the scrutiny on the couple. By August 2009, Dawn came forward to offer information, hoping to obtain prosecution immunity in exchange for her testimony. Despite expressing resentment towards Ben, she denied any plot to kill him with James. She described her utterances as mere wishful thinking for Ben’s exit from her life and vehemently refused the suggestion of agreeing to James’ idea of murdering Ben. Witnesses stated that Dawn and James had been drinking on the eve of the murder. Furthermore, Dawn’s son revealed to law enforcement that there had been discussions between the couple about murdering Ben to regain Alyssa’s custody and evade child support payments. Dawn, however, vehemently refuted these claims, insisting she dozed off on their couch that night and was later awakened by James saying, “It’s done.” She recounted how she accompanied James to his mother’s residence to park his car and stressed that she had minimal interactions with Ben in the weeks preceding the incident, only seeing him during Alyssa’s visits. She admitted to consciously avoiding him due to their tumultuous history.

Dawn’s testimony was pivotal in securing James’ conviction for Ben’s murder. Even though James confessed to the act, he implicated Dawn as the primary orchestrator of the crime, stating that she intended to eliminate both Ben and Melissa. However, Dawn vehemently refuted these claims. Post-trial, Dawn grappled with legal complications and found herself incarcerated intermittently. In October 2009, she faced a six-month sentence for violating probation due to a secondary DUI and a prior conviction for domestic battery. Later, in October 2011, she was handed a 90-month prison term after a no-contest plea to a charge of permitting a child to witness a controlled substance violation.