Sidney Dorsey
{{Short description|Former DeKalb County sheriff and murderer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox criminal
| name = Sidney Dorsey
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1940|2|23|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
| death_date =
| alias =
| victims = Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown
| country = United States
| states = Georgia
| endyear =
| apprehended =
| charge = Conspiracy to commit murder of Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown, a DeKalb County police officer and Dorsey's electoral challenger in 2000
Racketeering and violation of oath of office of elected official
Theft by taking of oath of office of elected official
| conviction = July 10, 2002
| conviction_penalty = Life without parole for conspiracy to commit murder
23 years added for racketeering and violation of oath of office
Concurrent 10-15 year sentences for theft by taking of oath of office
| occupation = Law enforcement official, first African-American sheriff of DeKalb County, Georgia, 1996-2000
| spouse = {{marriage|Sherry Dorsey|1954|2006}}
| partner =
| parents =
| children =
}}
Sidney Dorsey (born February 23, 1940) is an American former law enforcement officer who served as sheriff of DeKalb County, Georgia from 1996 to 2000. Dorsey was the first African American to serve as sheriff of DeKalb County. When Dorsey lost a 2000 runoff election to challenger Derwin Brown, he arranged Brown's murder.
Atlanta Child Murders Task Force
Prior to 1996, Dorsey served on the task force that looked into reopening the case of convicted murderer Wayne Williams. Dorsey appeared as one of many who voiced public doubt of Williams's guilt, including some of the victims' relatives. Dorsey is quoted as stating: "Most people who are aware of the child murders believe as I do that Wayne Williams did not commit these crimes." Williams was identified as the key suspect in the Atlanta Child Murders that occurred between 1979 and 1981. In January 1982, Williams was found guilty of the murder of two adult men. Dorsey, as a homicide detective in Atlanta, supervised the first search of Williams's home in 1981.{{cn|date=November 2022}}
Derwin Brown murder case
On the evening of December 15, 2000, police captain Derwin Brown, who defeated Dorsey that November in the election for county sheriff, was murdered at his home in Decatur, Georgia.{{Cite news|last=King|first=Michael|date=April 22, 2019|title=These are some of Georgia's most horrific crimes in recent memory|publisher=WXIA-TV|url=https://www.11alive.com/article/news/georgias-most-heinous-crimes/85-55110771-ba49-470a-b7fc-f88e77556889|url-status=live|access-date=June 6, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210606215034/https://www.11alive.com/article/news/georgias-most-heinous-crimes/85-55110771-ba49-470a-b7fc-f88e77556889|archive-date=June 6, 2021}} On July 10, 2002, Dorsey was convicted of ordering Brown's assassination in order to obstruct Brown's expected probe into corruption occurring in the DeKalb County sheriff's office during Dorsey's term.
Superior Court Judge Cynthia Becker sentenced Dorsey to life in prison for the murder conviction, an additional 23 years on racketeering and violation of oath of office convictions, and concurrent sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years for several convictions of theft by taking of the oath of office of an elected official.{{Cite news|date=July 11, 2002|title=Former Sheriff Guilty in Successor's Killing|page=A14|newspaper=The New York Times|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/11/us/former-sheriff-guilty-in-successor-s-killing.html|url-status=live|url-access=limited|access-date=March 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506034002/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/11/us/former-sheriff-guilty-in-successor-s-killing.html|archive-date=May 6, 2021}} Dorsey is currently being held at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison.{{cite web | url=https://services.gdc.ga.gov/GDC/OffenderQuery/jsp/OffQryRedirector.jsp | title=Find an Offender | Georgia Department of Corrections }}{{cite web | url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/where-former-sheriff-sidney-dorsey-now-whereabouts-explored-ahead-the-real-murders-atlanta-id | title=Where is former sheriff Sidney Dorsey now? | date=March 24, 2023 }}
In 2007, it was reported that Dorsey allegedly confessed to his part in ordering the hit on Brown out of bitterness for his defeat in the sheriff's election.{{cite news|last=Rowson|first=Kevin|date=August 17, 2017|title=Dorsey Confesses to Ordering Murder|publisher=WXIA-TV|agency=Associated Press|url=http://www.11alive.com/news/article/101786/0/Dorsey-Confesses-to-Ordering-Murder|access-date=June 21, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624/http://www.11alive.com/news/article/101786/0/Dorsey-Confesses-to-Ordering-Murder|archive-date=June 24, 2013}} He claimed he had attempted to abort the assassination plot before Brown's murder but was unsuccessful.{{cite news|date=August 16, 2007|title=Former DeKalb County Sheriff Dorsey confesses to Derwin Brown slaying|publisher=KRXI-TV|url=http://www.foxreno.com/news/13907255/detail.html|access-date=December 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408074839/http://www.foxreno.com/news/13907255/detail.html|archive-date=April 8, 2009}}
References
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Category:African-American police officers
Category:Georgia (U.S. state) sheriffs
Category:American police officers convicted of murder
Category:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
Category:Law enforcement officials from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:People convicted of murder by Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:People convicted of racketeering
Category:Georgia (U.S. state) politicians convicted of crimes
Category:African-American sheriffs
Category:21st-century African-American people