Missouri executes death row inmate Brian Dorsey despite calls for clemency.
Brian Dorsey was executed by the state of Missouri in the 2006 deaths of his cousin and her husband. Dozens of prison employees joined the call for clemency in his case, which was denied by Gov. Mike Parson.
Missouri Attorney General Press Release
Attorney General Bailey Requests Execution Date for Brian Dorsey
Attorney General Bailey Requests Execution Date for Brian Dorsey
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – In an effort to enforce the laws as written, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced today that his office has asked the Missouri Supreme Court to set an execution date for Brian Dorsey. Two days before Christmas in 2006, Dorsey’s cousins—Sarah Bonnie and Ben Bonnie—took Dorsey into their home because two drug dealers were trying to collect on Dorsey’s drug debt. That same night, Dorsey stole the Bonnie’s single-shot shotgun and murdered both Sarah and Ben in their beds. Dorsey also sexually assaulted Sarah. The Bonnies left behind a young daughter.
“As Attorney General, I want to enforce the laws as written, which includes carrying out the lawful sentence that has been upheld by multiple courts, including the nation’s highest court,” said Attorney General Bailey. “My office is committed to obtaining justice for victims of heinous crimes, and we will use every tool at our disposal to make Missouri the safest state in the nation.”
Before leaving, Dorsey stole personal property from the Bonnies including a car, firearms, medical supplies, a social security card, and their daughter’s copy of Bambi II. Sarah Bonnie’s parents discovered the Bonnies’ bodies on Christmas Eve. Dorsey turned himself in on December 26, and confessed that he was “the right guy concerning the deaths. . . .” Dorsey pleaded guilty to the murders and a Callaway County jury sentenced Dorsey to death for both murders on August 28, 2008. The jury found seven aggravating factors, including that the murders were “outrageously and wantonly vile, horrible, and inhuman.”
Dorsey’s convictions and sentences have been reviewed by the Missouri Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. No court has ever found any legal errors.
After the Attorney General files a motion to set an execution date, the defendant’s lawyers will have time to respond. If the Missouri Supreme Court chooses to issue an execution warrant, the execution date will be set between 90 and 120 days from the Missouri Supreme Court’s order.
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