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Brian Dorsey is slated for execution in Missouri. Dozens of prison guards and a former judge want his life spared.
St. Louis — The fate of a Missouri man convicted of killing his cousin and her husband nearly two decades ago appears to rest with the U.S. Supreme Court, with just hours to go before the scheduled execution.
Missouri Department of Corrections via AP, File
Brian Dorsey, 52, is scheduled to die by injection Tuesday night at the state prison in Bonne Terre. Gov. Mike Parson on Monday turned down a clemency request. Two appeals are still pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. One focuses on Dorsey’s record of good behavior since his incarceration.
The other says his life should be spared because his trial lawyers had a conflict of interest. The pair of public defenders were paid a $12,000 flat fee that provided them with no incentive to invest time in his case, the appeal said. On their recommendation, Dorsey pleaded guilty despite having no agreement with prosecutors that he would be spared the death penalty.
Dorsey would be the first person in Missouri put to death this year after four executions in 2023. Another man, David Hosier, is scheduled for execution June 11 for killing a Jefferson City woman in 2009. Nationally, four men have been executed so far in 2024 – one each in Alabama, Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma.
Dorsey’s slayings
Dorsey, 52, formerly of Jefferson City, was convicted of killing Sarah and Ben Bonnie on Dec. 23, 2006, at their home near New Bloomfield. Prosecutors said that earlier that day, Dorsey called Sarah Bonnie seeking to borrow money to pay two drug dealers who were at his apartment.
Dorsey went to the Bonnies’ home that night. After they went to bed, Dorsey took a shotgun from the garage and killed both of them before sexually assaulting Sarah Bonnie’s body, prosecutors said. Police said Dorsey stole several items from the home and tried to pay off a drug debt with some of the stolen goods.
A day after the killings, Sarah Bonnie’s parents went to check on the Bonnies after they failed to show up for a family gathering. They found the couple’s 4-year-old daughter on the couch watching TV. She told her grandparents that her mother “won’t wake up.”
Dorsey surrendered to police three days after the killings.
Rallying to Dorsey’s defense
Attorneys for Dorsey said he suffered from drug-induced psychosis at the time of the crime. In prison, he’s gotten clean, they said.
“Governor Parson has chosen to ignore the wealth of information before him showing that Brian Dorsey is uniquely deserving of mercy,” Megan Crane, a Dorsey attorney, said in a statement. “Brian has spent every day of his time in prison trying to make amends for his crime, and dozens of correctional officers have attested to his remorse, transformation, and commitment to service.”
Dozens of corrections officers vouched for Dorsey’s rehabilitation.
“The Brian I have known for years could not hurt anyone,” one wrote in the clemency petition. “The Brian I know does not deserve to be executed.”
In a letter to Parson as part of the clemency petition, former Missouri Supreme Court Justice Michael Wolff wrote that he was on the court when it turned aside an appeal of his death sentence in 2009. Now, he says, that decision was wrong.
“Missouri Public Defenders now do not use the flat fee for defense in recognition of the professional standard that such an arrangement gives the attorney an inherent financial conflict of interest,” Wolff wrote.
Execution procedure questioned
Dorsey’s execution raised new concerns about Missouri’s protocol, which includes no provision for the use of anesthetics. Dorsey’s attorneys describe him as obese, diabetic and a former intravenous drug user, all factors that could make it difficult to obtain a vein to inject the lethal drug. When that happens, a cutdown procedure is sometimes necessary.
A cutdown involves an incision, then the use of forceps to pull tissue away from an interior vein. A federal lawsuit on behalf of Dorsey argued that without a local anesthetic he would be in so much pain that it would impede his right to religious freedom by preventing him from having meaningful interaction with his spiritual adviser, including the administration of last rites.
A settlement was reached Saturday in which the state took unspecified steps to limit the risk of extreme pain. The settlement didn’t spell out the specific changes agreed to by the state, including whether anesthetics would be available.
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Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
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Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
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Here’s how and when you can watch the Colts vs. Lions game today, whether or not you have cable.
Here’s how and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Lions vs. Colts game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts game without cable
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Experience NFL action like never before with Fubo’s comprehensive sports streaming platform. From Sunday showdowns to primetime matchups, catch every NFL game across major networks including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Choose the Pro package to unlock 200+ channels and limitless DVR storage, or elevate your game-day experience with the Elite with Sports Plus package, featuring NFL RedZone’s commercial-free scoring highlights and stunning 4K quality.
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Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.