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| Serving Callaway County communities since 1875. | www.fultonsun.com | Wednesday, November 19, 2008 |
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Jury recommends death in Dorsey trial By ROGER MEISSEN The Fulton Sun
Although Judge Gene Hamilton instructed the courtroom that he “did not want any show of emotion in the courtroom,” members of Dorsey's family could not contain their tears. But even for the families of Sarah and Ben Bonnie, no result could heal their wounds. “There's nothing more to be said,” Sarah's mother, Diana Mosier said. “This tragedy has destroyed everybody. There's no good news.” Thursday's proceedings offered the defense its chance to persuade the jury. It made its case against the death penalty through a combination of experts, character witnesses and Dorsey himself. Robert Smith - a clinical psychologist and addiction specialist - argued that Dorsey's alcohol and drug addictions contributed to impaired judgment that led to the Bonnie murders. Dorsey shot each in the head with a single-barrel breach loading shotgun on Dec. 23, 2006, then proceeded to rob their home and flee the scene. “The testing related to his alcohol and drug abuse clearly indicated that his history of alcohol and drug abuse had been problematic throughout his adult life,” Smith said. “At age 22 he was diagnosed with depression, was suicidal and was admitted to the hospital for suicide attempts,” Smith said. “He continued to have problems, and in 2005 Brian had two admissions for suicidal tendencies and depression.” However, the prosecution painted Dorsey as a manipulator of his family, and pointed out that the defendant contradicted previous statements he had made to Smith. On the stand, Dorsey said he didn't care what sentence the jury decided, and he claimed to not remember shooting the Bonnies because alcohol caused him to black out the memory. That statement stood in contrast to Smith's evaluation where Dorsey was quoted as saying “I do remember standing over their bed and remember shooting Sarah and Ben then.” For the prosecution, those excuses meant little. “To hear him tell it, he's the victim,” co-counsel Robert J. Ahsens said. “The demon rum and the devil drugs made him do it. “Š That wasn't just murder, friends,” he continued. “Those were executions.” Defense attorney Chris Slusher made no excuses for Dorsey. “I'm not asking you forget what he did,” Slusher said. “Our fear is that you'll only consider what he did and not hand out justice to the whole person and consider the entire life.” Despite cousins, coaches and friends who spoke about Dorsey's kind and caring nature when not under the influence, the jury was not persuaded. They handed down the death penalty, finding the killings planned and that Dorsey also raped Sarah Bonnie. Now all that's left is for Judge Hamilton to sentence Dorsey, which will take place Oct. 3. At that time Hamilton has the option to uphold the jury's sentence recommendation or lessen it, and the defense can file for a retrial. The end to this trial might have meant closure for some members of this devastated family, but a single line summed up what it seemed most, including Ben Bonnie's father, felt. “There are no winners here today.” |
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