5 chilling details about Sidney Dorsey’s crimes

Sidney Dorsey, once seen as a trailblazer in Georgia law enforcement, ultimately became the orchestrator of one of the state’s most shocking political assassinations.

American Monster: Abuse of Power episode, I Am the Law airs Sunday, June 22, 2025, at 10 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery. The episode revisits the rise and downfall of Sidney Dorsey, combining archival footage, family interviews, and exclusive confession details.

Encores will air throughout the week, and the episode will be available for streaming via Discovery+ and the ID GO app.

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5 key details about Sidney Dorsey’s crimes explored

As viewers prepare to revisit the case, here are five chilling details about Dorsey’s crimes that reveal the full extent of his abuse of power and the consequences that followed.

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1) Sidney Dorsey arranged the murder of his elected successor

In 2000, Sidney Dorsey lost the DeKalb County sheriff’s election to Captain Derwin Brown, who had promised to launch a corruption investigation into the office. Dorsey, fearing exposure of his misdeeds, ordered Brown’s assassination just days before he was to be sworn in.

Brown was ambushed and shot 12 times in front of his Decatur home on December 15, 2000. Prosecutors argued that Dorsey’s motive was purely self-preservation. He was later convicted of murder, racketeering, theft, and violating his oath of office, and sentenced to life without parole, along with 23 additional years.

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2) He turned the sheriff’s department into a bribery and loyalty machine

The investigation revealed that Dorsey ran a “pay-to-play” operation inside the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution report dated July 31, 2018, employees were expected to contribute to his campaign or show political loyalty to maintain their jobs. Some even testified that s*xual favors and cash bribes influenced departmental promotions.

The department, which was meant to uphold law and order, had reportedly become a platform for Dorsey’s personal and political gain, enabling a culture of fear and manipulation.

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3) He confessed years later, but tried to justify the act

Initially denying all involvement, Sidney Dorsey broke his silence in 2007 while serving time. As per an Associated Press report dated August 16, 2007, Dorsey summoned then-District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming and admitted he had indeed ordered Brown’s murder. However, he claimed he tried to stop the plot after it was in motion, saying he was “out of [his] mind” when the order was first given.

The Brown family dismissed the confession as insincere. Derwin Brown’s daughter publicly called it “a joke,” stating that Dorsey continued to evade full accountability by withholding key details.

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4) Dorsey misused taxpayer funds meant for youth programs

Beyond the murder and corruption, Dorsey was also convicted of stealing funds from a youth mentoring program. Prosecutors revealed that he diverted money from public initiatives meant to support at-risk teens and used it for personal and political expenses.

This charge added to the gravity of his case and highlighted how deeply his misconduct had eroded public trust, not only through violence but also by exploiting community programs.

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5) He remains imprisoned in a maximum-security Georgia facility

As of June 2025, Sidney Dorsey, now 85 years old, is incarcerated at Georgia Diagnostic & Classification State Prison in Jackson. The maximum-security facility also houses Georgia’s execution chamber and is known for housing inmates with the most serious convictions.

According to a FOX 5 Atlanta report dated December 15, 2023, Dorsey continues to serve his life sentence without any possibility of parole. Despite multiple appeals, his conviction has been upheld across state and federal courts.

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Stay tuned for more updates.