Sidney Dorsey
Encyclopedia
Sidney Dorsey served as sheriff of DeKalb County, Georgia
from 1996 to 2000. Dorsey was the first African-American to serve as sheriff of DeKalb County and was married to Atlanta city councilwoman Sherry Dorsey (1954–2006). He was defeated in a 2000 runoff by challenger Derwin Brown
, whom he had murdered shortly thereafter.
In 2007, it was reported that Dorsey allegedly confessed to his part in the ordering of the hit on Brown out of bitterness of having been defeated by him in the local County Sheriff's election. However, he claimed that he had attempted to abort the assassination plot prior to Brown's murder, but was unsuccessful.
. Dorsey appeared as one of many, including some of the victims' relatives, who voiced public doubt of Williams's guilt of the murders. 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, he was found guilty of the murder of two adult men. Dorsey, as an Atlanta homicide detective, supervised the first search of Williams' home in 1981.
DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population of the county was 691,893 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is the city of Decatur. It is bordered to the west by Fulton County and contains roughly 10% of the city of Atlanta...
from 1996 to 2000. Dorsey was the first African-American to serve as sheriff of DeKalb County and was married to Atlanta city councilwoman Sherry Dorsey (1954–2006). He was defeated in a 2000 runoff by challenger Derwin Brown
Derwin Brown
Derwin Brown was a police captain and the sheriff-elect of DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, who was assassinated on the evening of December 15, 2000.-Early life:...
, whom he had murdered shortly thereafter.
Derwin Brown murder case
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 on 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 on his several convictions of theft by taking of the oath of office of an elected official.In 2007, it was reported that Dorsey allegedly confessed to his part in the ordering of the hit on Brown out of bitterness of having been defeated by him in the local County Sheriff's election. However, he claimed that he had attempted to abort the assassination plot prior to Brown's murder, but was unsuccessful.
Atlanta Child Murders Task Force
During his tenure as sheriff, Dorsey also served on the task force that looked into reopening the case of convicted child murderer Wayne WilliamsWayne Williams
Wayne Bertram Williams is an American serial killer who committed most of the Atlanta Child Murders that occurred in 1979 through 1981. In January 1982, Williams was found guilty of the murder of two adult men...
. Dorsey appeared as one of many, including some of the victims' relatives, who voiced public doubt of Williams's guilt of the murders. 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, he was found guilty of the murder of two adult men. Dorsey, as an Atlanta homicide detective, supervised the first search of Williams' home in 1981.