Missouri set for first execution of 2024
ST. LOUIS — Missouri is set to proceed with its first execution of the year tonight, as convicted murderer Brian Dorsey faces the death penalty in Bonne Terre. Dorsey has been found guilty of the 2006 killings of Sarah and Ben Bonnie in their home near New Bloomfield, Missouri, just north of Jefferson City.
The prosecution stated that Dorsey had sought financial help from Sarah Bonnie earlier that day to pay two drug dealers at his apartment. That night, after the Bonnies went to bed, Dorsey used a shotgun from the garage to murder the couple before sexually assaulting Sarah Bonnie’s body.
The day following the tragic incident, Sarah’s parents discovered the couple’s 4-year-old daughter on the couch saying, “My mother won’t wake up.”
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Governor Mike Parson has not granted clemency. He has never approved a clemency request during his tenure. Dorsey’s fate now hinges on two appeals pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, with hours until his execution is set to occur.
Groups opposing the death penalty are advocating for Dorsey’s clemency. They argue that Dorsey, who has not received any infractions during his two decades at the Potosi Correctional Center, deserves mercy and should spend the remainder of his life in prison rather than face execution. They highlight his good behavior in prison.
Activists are set to gather in downtown St. Louis at Tucker and Market for a final effort to seek clemency for Dorsey. They plan to travel to Bonne Terre this afternoon, where Dorsey’s execution by lethal injection is scheduled for 6 p.m. tonight.
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