Does Murder Sleep? on ID: Where are Dawn Oxley and James Matlean now?

Ben Oxley was shot in his own bed by James Matlean (Image via Oxygen) — Ben Oxley was shot in his bed by James Matlean (Image via Oxygen)

The upcoming ID show, Does Murder Sleep?, is all set to premiere on the network on August 2, 2023, and will shed light on Ben Oxley's murder, which allegedly involved his ex-wife Dawn Oxley and her boyfriend James Matlean. The bone-chilling crime dates back to 2008, when the air conditioning repairman was shot to death in his sleep with a shotgun in Minden, Nevada.

Ben Oxley's wife, Melissa Oxley, found him dead on his bed after waking up in the middle of the night on February 21, 2008.

The synopsis for the upcoming episode of Does Murder Sleep? is titled Deadly Awakening. The synopsis for the same reads:

"While sleeping in bed in February 2008, Ben Oxley is shot in the head at point blank range; his wife becomes the focus of the police investigation, but it will be more than two years before the real killer is caught."

An investigation into the case led authorities to Dawn's boyfriend, James Matlean, who was behind this gruesome murder. He claimed that Dawn was involved in the murder as well, but this was never proven as she received immunity for testifying against James.

Dawn Oxley's boyfriend James Matlean is serving his sentence at High Desert State Prison

Ben and Dawn Oxley met sometime in 1997 and got into a relationship. The couple had a child together named Alyssa, who went on to live with Ben after the duo separated in 2004. Dawn also had a child from her previous marriage, Devin, who would become one of the key reasons for the resolution of the case.

James Matlean was Dawn's boyfriend at the time of Ben's murder. He and Dawn allegedly discussed killing Ben Oxley after the latter expressed her frustration with her ex-husband. 16-year-old Devin overheard this conversation and revealed the same to authorities.

After negotiating with the police for immunity, Dawn Oxley revealed that James had allegedly murdered Ben in a bid to please her. She also revealed that she had told James that she was angry with Ben and wanted custody of their daughter. However, she did not ask him to kill her ex-husband.

After James was arrested and charged, he revealed that Dawn was also involved in the crime. He stated that she gave him all the details about the house and even accompanied him on the night of the murder.

A still of Dawn Oxley (Image via Cinemaholic)

This detail was never investigated as Dawn was granted immunity in the case. James pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder in December 2011. He was sentenced to life in prison for Ben's murder and received an additional four to ten years behind bars for the conspiracy charge.

He is currently serving his sentence at High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs, Nevada.

Despite getting immunity for Ben Oxley's murder, Dawn Oxley was arrested in October 2009 for violating her probation. She was also arrested in 2011 and charged with an offense related to controlled substance violation. She was released in 2014 and has since maintained a low profile. As per Cinemaholic, she currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, and goes by a different name.

The upcoming episode of Does Murder Sleep? will premiere on August 2, 2023, at 10:00 pm EST.

Edited by Adelle Fernandes