Sidney Dorsey Confesses To Derwin Brown Murder

Sidney Dorsey has confessed to the murder of DeKalb County sheriff-elect Derwin Brown.

DeKalb County officials announced the confession at a news conference Thursday morning.

District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming said during a news conference today that she met with Dorsey on July 13th at the prison in Reidsville, where he confessed to ordering Brown's death.

Dorsey told Fleming he wrote a note telling former sheriff's deputy Patrick Cuffy to kill his rival.

Reading from a prepared statement, Fleming said the Saturday after the August 12th, 2000, runoff election, he wrote a note to Patrick Cuffy that meant he should assassinate Sheriff-Elect Derwin Brown. Dorsey told the prosecutor that Cuffy replied -- quote -- "We are way ahead of you."

She said Dorsey told her that he later attempted unsuccessfully a few weeks later to call off the hit.

Fleming said Dorsey told her he ordered the hit originally because he was upset about losing the election, he was facing sexual harassment allegations and his marriage was in trouble.

Dorsey was found guilty of ordering the Dec. 15, 2000 murder of Brown, who defeated Dorsey in an August runoff election after campaigning on a promise to clean up corruption in the sheriff's office.

The 46-year-old Brown was gunned down just days before taking office.

Patrick Cuffy admitted participating in the murder, but testified for the prosecution.

Cuffy and Paul Skyers were granted immunity in return for their testimony.

Two other men -- Melvin Walker and David Ramsey -- were sentenced in November 2005 to life in federal prison for their part in the murder-for-hire killing. The two, who previously were acquitted in a state trial in 2002, were convicted of federal conspiracy charges related to Brown's slaying.

Dorsey was sentenced to life in prison for the murder, plus an additional 23 years for corruption convictions.

At the time of Dorsey's sentencing, he told the court, "I know you are going to sentence me severely, but I do not have the blood of Derwin Brown on my hands...I did not play a role in the diabolical murder of Derwin Brown...Derwin and I were political adversaries, but I respected him...I never thought that an innocent man would be convicted."

Brown's family has been fighting to collect for his death, with daughter Brandy Brown Rhodes telling state officials that her family has struggled financially and emotionally since her father's slaying.

Brown's widow, Phyllis Brown, suffered a stroke in 2003 and died in 2006. Before she died, she filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dorsey, and the others involved in the killing and DeKalb County.

Check back on wsbtv.com for more on this developing story.