Brian Dorsey, a man convicted of murdering his cousin and her husband, is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday in Missouri. Dorsey had requested clemency, but the state Governor affirmed the execution as an appropriate and legal sentence for his heinous crimes. The murders took place in 2006 when Dorsey fatally shot his cousin Sarah Bonnie and her husband Ben Bonnie after they had brought him to their home for safety. Dorsey had claimed that drug dealers were after him for unpaid debts.
Despite his plea for help, Dorsey took the lives of his cousin and her husband, leaving behind their 4-year-old daughter who was unharmed. The Governor of Missouri, Mike Parson, stated that Dorsey punished his loving family for helping him in a time of need, and that carrying out the death sentence would deliver justice and provide closure. Dorsey had pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and later argued that his defense was insufficient due to the state’s flat fee payment to his private lawyers.
Throughout the years, Dorsey challenged his sentence multiple times, filing appeals with the Missouri Supreme Court and federal courts. However, all of his appeals were denied, leading to the setting of an execution date. Dorsey’s case drew unusual support from Missouri Corrections Department employees, who described him as a model inmate during his 17 years in prison. The former warden of the Potosi Correctional Center, where Dorsey was housed, even allowed him to work as a barber.
Despite the support from some prison staff and family members, Dorsey’s execution is set to proceed using lethal injection. The Missouri Corrections Officers Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the case. Dorsey’s defense had argued that he was experiencing drug-induced psychosis on the night of the murders, citing his history of mental health issues, suicide attempts, and drug addiction. However, a jury found seven aggravating factors that led to their decision to endorse execution for Dorsey.
