On Tuesday, Brian Dorsey, a convicted Missouri murderer whose fight against a death sentence garnered support from dozens of correctional officers, was executed by lethal injection in a state prison, according to his attorney Kirk Henderson, who witnessed the execution.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined appeals to intervene in Dorsey's behalf earlier in the day, and his request for clemency was turned down Monday by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson. Dorsey, 52, was sentenced to capital punishment for the confessed killing of his cousin, Sarah Bonnie, and her husband, Ben Bonnie, in 2006.
Dorsey's lawyers argued that he did not receive proper representation by his public defenders and had been "fully rehabilitated" in prison. The case drew national attention due to the unusually strong stance in favor of commutation by current and former prison staff, with more than 70 correctional officers vouching for Dorsey, according to his lawyers.
In a handwritten last statement, Dorsey expressed his remorse, saying, "I am truly deeply overwhelmingly sorry. Words cannot hold the just weight of my guilt and shame."
Gov. Parson's office confirmed that Dorsey's execution would be carried out, stating that he not only attacked family members who opened their home to him and rescued him from drug dealers seeking to collect debts but also raped his cousin's body after killing her.
"The pain Dorsey brought to others can never be rectified, but carrying out Dorsey's sentence according to Missouri law and the Court's order will deliver justice and provide closure," Parson said in the statement.
Dorsey's lawyers maintained that he was in a drug-induced psychosis at the time of the assaults and pointed out the support he received from correctional officers in their clemency request. Troy Steele, the former warden at Potosi Correctional Center, where Dorsey was housed, described his record as "extraordinary."
Dorsey was convicted of murdering his cousin and her husband on Dec. 23, 2006, while their 4-year-old daughter was in the home. He also stole personal property to repay drug debts, according to court filings.
In addition to the debate surrounding Dorsey's rehabilitation and the support he received from correctional officers, his case also drew scrutiny due to Missouri's single-drug protocol for execution, which does not mention the use of painkillers. Dorsey's lawyers argued that his diabetes, obesity, and history of intravenous drug use could make it harder to locate a vein for the lethal injection, potentially causing him significant pain and anguish.
