Former DeKalb County sheriff Sidney Dorsey, whose groundbreaking political career ended in scandal after he was convicted of arranging the killing of the man elected to replace him, has died while serving a life sentence. He was 86.
According to a statement from the Georgia Department of Corrections released to local ABC affiliate WJCL, Dorsey died at Augusta State Medical Prison from natural causes. He had spent more than two decades behind bars following his conviction for orchestrating the assassination of sheriff-elect Derwin Brown in 2000.
The case became one of the most notorious political murder plots in Georgia history.
Dorsey served as DeKalb County’s sheriff from 1996 to 2000 and made history as the first Black person elected to hold the position. Before becoming sheriff, he had built a long career in law enforcement and had previously worked on the task force that reviewed evidence related to the Atlanta Child Murders case involving convicted killer Wayne Williams.
While serving on that task force, Dorsey publicly questioned Williams’ guilt. “Most people who are aware of the child murders believe as I do that Wayne Williams did not commit these crimes,” Dorsey once said.
But Dorsey’s legacy would ultimately be defined by events that unfolded years later.
In November 2000, Dorsey lost a runoff election for sheriff to longtime police captain Derwin Brown. Brown had campaigned on promises to clean up alleged corruption inside the sheriff’s office and was preparing to take office when he was killed.
On the evening of December 15, 2000, Brown was shot outside his home in Decatur, Georgia—just days before he was scheduled to be sworn in as DeKalb County’s new sheriff.
Prosecutors later argued that Sidney Dorsey arranged the killing because he feared Brown would investigate misconduct within the department once he took over.
A jury agreed. In 2002, Dorsey was convicted of organizing the assassination and was sentenced to life in prison. The court also handed down an additional 23 years tied to corruption-related charges, including racketeering and violating his oath of office.
During sentencing, Dorsey denied responsibility for the killing. “I do not have the blood of Derwin Brown on my hands,” he told the court.
Brown’s widow, Phyllis Brown, also addressed the courtroom at the time, telling Dorsey that despite the loss of her husband, she did not wish death upon him.
Years later, however, authorities said Dorsey admitted from prison that he had ordered the hit after his election defeat. According to prosecutors, he claimed he attempted to stop the plot before it was carried out but failed to do so.
The killing of Derwin Brown drew widespread attention across metro Atlanta and beyond, often described by investigators as a political assassination tied to a contested election.
Two other men connected to the murder plot were later convicted in federal court of conspiracy to commit interstate murder-for-hire and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Brown, a veteran law enforcement officer, left behind his wife and five children. Supporters and family members have continued to honor his memory with annual vigils in the years since his death.
Dorsey remained incarcerated until his death on March 2, 2026.