Missouri's governor announced that a man convicted of killing a cousin and a married couple after telling them a drug dealer came to their door and taking them to safety will be executed Tuesday.
Brian Dorsey, 51, asked for clemency, but Gov. Mike Parson on Monday upheld the sanctions ordered by the state Supreme Court, and his office said in a statement that it was “appropriate and appropriate for his heinous crimes.” It is a legal judgment.”
On December 23, 2006, Dorsey stole his cousin's shotgun and shot and killed her and her husband at their Callaway County residence. According to case records, Sarah Bonney and Ben Bonney accused drug dealers of showing up at their door and demanding that they cover their debts.After Sarah Bonney asked for help, she was arrested that night. He said he drove her to her home.
The couple's 4-year-old daughter was also in the home but was not physically harmed, records state.
“Brian Dorsey punished his beloved family for helping him in his time of need,” Parson said in a statement Monday.
He added: “While nothing can ever right the pain Dorsey caused others, carrying out Dorsey's sentence in accordance with Missouri law and the court's orders will bring justice and bring closure.”
Dorsey pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, and the jury took up the sentencing issue in 2008.
He later argued that the flat fees the state paid private attorneys resulted in an inadequate defense. His defense also included claims that he was experiencing a drug-induced psychosis on the night of the murder.
A clinical psychologist for the defense cited Dorsey's history of mental health issues, suicide attempts and drug addiction, the Missouri Supreme Court affirmed in March.
However, the Supreme Court said that after considering Dorsey's fate, the jury found seven aggravating factors that led them to support Dorsey's execution.
Mr. Dorsey repeatedly challenged his government-mandated fate, including filing two habeas corpus petitions with the Missouri Supreme Court, which rejected all of his appeals. He also filed a challenge in federal court, but the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
In December, the state Supreme Court set the execution date for April 9. The state is expected to use lethal injection.
Dorsey's plight drew extraordinary support in January, when dozens of Missouri Department of Corrections officials asked Parson to pardon Dorsey, who has been incarcerated for 17 years.
Troy Steele, former warden of the Potosi Correctional Center where Dorsey is being held, described Dorsey in a review as a “model inmate” who was allowed to work as a barber. He said he was even allowed to cut the director's own hair.
The officers were joined by some family members, including his cousin Jenny Garhauser, to oppose his execution.
“Generally, we believe in the use of the death penalty,” prison officials wrote in a letter to the governor, “but we agree that the death penalty is not the appropriate punishment for Brian Dorsey.” Stated.
The Missouri Correctional Officers Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri did not respond to requests for comment.
The execution is scheduled for Tuesday at 6pm local time, according to NBC affiliate KOMU in Colombia.