The Missouri Supreme Court has scheduled the execution of Brian Dorsey for April 9, 2024, for the murders of Ben and Sarah Bonnie. Decades prior to the murders, Dorsey endured substantial mental and physical childhood trauma, and developed a drug addiction in...
News: Criminal Justice
Brian Dorsey to be Executed April 9
The Missouri Supreme Court has scheduled the execution of Brian Dorsey for April 9, 2024, for the murders of Ben and Sarah Bonnie. Decades before the murders, Dorsey endured substantial mental and physical childhood trauma, and developed a drug addiction in...
Conservative Legislators Split over Death Penalty
Discussion of Missouri’s capital punishment got an early start this session, as several republican legislators have filed bills calling for the controversial criminal sentencing act to be abolished. In collaboration with Missourians for the Abolition of the Death...
House Hearings Conducted on Clean Slate Bills
On Monday, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a set of Clean Slate bills. HB 352, sponsored by Rep. Phil Christofanelli (R-St. Peters), and HB 753, sponsored by Rep. Justin Hicks (R-Lake St. Louis), would automate the expungement process for a number of...
Missouri Schedules June 6 Execution Date
The Missouri Supreme Court has set the execution date for convicted murderer Michael Tisius for June 6, 2023. Tisius, who was convicted of killing two prison guards during an attempt to escape from custody, has been on Missouri’s death row since October 2001. As is...
School Shooting Survivors Share Their Experiences at the Capitol
Survivors of an October school shooting at a St. Louis high school visited the Missouri Capitol this week to share their art and a message. Around 60 students from the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School traveled to the Capitol on Tuesday to advocate for...
Church Mourns Death of Bishop O’Connell
On Saturday, February 18, Bishop David O'Connell of Los Angeles was found dead in his bedroom with multiple gunshot wounds. A suspect has been charged with the murder of Bishop O’Connell. O'Connell, who earned the title of bishop in 2015, was a “peacemaker with a...
Testimony Heard on Expungement Bill
On Monday, the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence heard public testimony on a bill that would modify the terms of criminal record expungement applications. SB 36, sponsored by Senator Brian Williams (D - St. Louis), would restore...
Missouri Man Released after New Testimony Proves Innocence
After serving nearly 28 years in prison, Lamar Johnson was finally released from custody after a witness recanted his prior testimony. According to Judge David Mason, who presided over the case, the recent testimony of two witnesses provided clear and convincing...
Missouri Carries out Execution of Leonard Taylor
On February 7, the state of Missouri executed Leonard “Raheem” Taylor for the 2004 murders of Angela Rowe, Alexus Conley, Acqreya Conley, and Tyrese Conley. Mr. Taylor – who had maintained his innocence throughout his arrest, trial, conviction, and prison sentence – ...