Former DeKalb Sheriff Sidney Dorsey Admits to Orchestrating Assassination of Successor

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A chilling audio recording from 2007, recently obtained by investigators, captures disgraced former DeKalb County Sheriff Sidney Dorsey explicitly admitting to ordering the assassination of sheriff-elect Derwin Brown 25 years ago.

In the July 2007 prison interview with then-District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming and others, Dorsey acknowledges directing former deputy Patrick Cuffy to carry out the hit. When asked directly, "So you’re telling Patrick Cuffy to kill Derwin Brown?" Dorsey responds, "Yeah... in other words. I didn’t say ‘kill him.’ I used the word assassinate. But I’m not trying to get out of anything. I’m just trying to tell you the truth."

Dorsey, now 85 and serving a life sentence, reflects on his actions in the recording: "I want someone to say, ‘Sidney, you are a murderer. You are accountable, you’re responsible.’ ... I haven’t totally reconciled the fact that Sidney, you are a murderer."

The confession revives memories of one of Georgia's most shocking political crimes. On December 15, 2000 — just three days before he was set to be sworn in — Brown, a 23-year veteran of the DeKalb County Police Department, was gunned down in his driveway in Decatur. The 46-year-old sheriff-elect was shot 12 times as he returned home carrying roses for his wife's birthday.

Brown had defeated incumbent Dorsey in a contentious runoff election, campaigning on a platform to root out corruption in the sheriff's office. Prosecutors argued Dorsey orchestrated the murder to prevent exposure of graft and racketeering during his tenure and to cling to power.

Dorsey was convicted in 2002 of malice murder, racketeering, and theft by taking, among other charges. He was sentenced to life in prison plus additional years. Two accomplices received federal life sentences for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Cuffy, who coordinated the plot, received immunity in exchange for testifying against Dorsey.

While Dorsey confessed privately in 2007 — reportedly out of bitterness over his election loss and personal turmoil, including a sexual harassment scandal — the audio's public emergence this week coincides with the 25th anniversary of Brown's death. Vigils and memorials marked the somber milestone earlier this month, with Brown's family emphasizing his legacy of integrity.

Former District Attorney J. Tom Morgan, who prosecuted the case, noted Cuffy's key role and testimony. Brown's relatives have long maintained that time has not healed the wound, describing the night of the murder as indelible.

Dorsey remains incarcerated at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison. The release of the recording offers no new legal consequences but serves as a stark reminder of the depths of corruption that led to the assassination of a reform-minded public servant.

17GEN4.com