Seventeen years have elapsed since Brian Dorsey was sentenced to death row at Potosi State Prison.
During this time, he has remained infraction-free and has worked as a barber.
Retired Missouri Supreme Court Judge Michael Wolff reflects on the lack of information available to him and his colleagues when they upheld Brian Dorsey’s conviction and death sentence in 2009.
The core facts of the case remain undisputed: Dorsey fatally shot his cousin Sarah Bonnie and her husband, Ben Bonnie.
However, it is Dorsey’s legal defense that has sparked renewed criticism and calls for clemency.
Wolff expressed regret, stating, “If Mr. Dorsey is executed, it will undermine our justice system,” citing the compromised nature of Dorsey’s defense attorneys, unbeknownst to him and his colleagues at the time.
Unless a court intervenes or Governor Mike Parson intervenes, Dorsey is slated for execution on April 9.
Wolff has joined over 150 others, including corrections officers, Republican state representatives, and former jurors, in urging the governor to commute Dorsey’s sentence to life without parole.
Michelle Smith, co-director of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty, has also thrown her support behind Dorsey, highlighting the significant backing for his clemency petition.
Smith emphasizes the unprecedented support from corrections officers, underscoring their belief that Dorsey deserves clemency and should not face execution.
