Naman Shrestha
Just a few weeks after his 38th birthday in 2012, Kim Dorsey was found dead in her house in Jacksonville, Florida. When the news broke out, it shocked the entire community, and a wave of concern and terror hovered over the neighborhood. As far as her loved ones were concerned, they felt a sense of grief and loss taking over them. The entire case and the investigation that followed are covered in detail in the episode titled ‘In Cold Blood’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Smoking Gun.’ Apart from the expert opinions of the officials linked to the investigation, the episode also features interviews with Kim’s close ones, giving the viewers insight into the impact of Kim’s tragic death.
Kim Dorsey Was Found Dead on the Floor of Her Bedroom in 2012
Daughter of Sally Anne Berent Dunne and Dennis Dunne, Kim Marie Dunne was born on October 10, 1974. From an early age, she served as a source of joy and pride for her parents and loved ones. Besides her parents, Kim also considered her brother, Patrick, one of the most important people in her life. She always did well academically and passed out of high school with flying colors before joining the University of North Florida and earning a degree in Civil Engineering.
Given her ambitious and determined personality, she was able to achieve several accomplishments, including starting her own construction company, where she also served as a Certified General Contractor and Director of Training for the Quality Assurance Department of Inspection Depot. Kim’s focus was not solely on the professional aspect of her life; she gave importance to her personal life too. Married to an Engineer/Paramedic at the Jacksonville Fire/Rescue Department named Derrick Dorsey, she was the mother of three adorable children — Dexter, Gracie and Duncan. Not only was she a doting mother but also a caring and loving wife.
In 2007, tragedy struck when her mother, Sally, passed away at the age of 63. Just over five years later, on October 28, 2012, Derrick’s world turned upside down when he returned from completing a 24-hour work shift and found his 38-year-old wife dead on the bedroom floor of their Jacksonville Beach residence. Without wasting any time, the police were informed and they rushed to the crime scene. While they secured the perimeter, the investigators inspected the body and the property and concluded that she was bound and raped. The cause of her death was declared to be blunt head trauma and a stab wound to the neck. Right after, the authorities launched a homicide investigation.
The Killer Turned Out to be the Employee of Kim Dorsey’s Husband
Once the detectives were done collecting evidence from the crime scene, they began interviewing Kim Dorsey’s family, friends, and other acquaintances, hoping to find clues that would lead them right to the person responsible for the murder. Thanks to the statements of her loved ones, they got to know about Lance Kirkpatrick. He was an employee at Derrick’s construction company and had lived with the Dorseys at their house for a while. During that time, he allegedly used to help Derrick meet and have a physically intimate relationship with other women behind Kim’s back. Although Lance did not have any injuries on his face, he had scratch marks on his back and side. When Lance’s DNA was found in Kim’s fingernails, the police had enough reason and evidence to arrest and charge Lance for her murder.
According to Lance, he visited the Dorsey house on the fateful night to hang out with Derrick, who wasn’t home at the time. Instead, he claimed, he ended up having sex with Kim, alleging he was having an affair with her. He added that things turned upside down when she learned about her husband’s alleged infidelity and Lance’s hand in it. As per his account, Kim became furious and picked up a gun while he ran away and hid in the kitchen before knocking her out with a pool stick. Claiming self-defense, Lance told the investigators that he tied her up with zip ties, but after cutting her loose, she somehow got the knife, and a struggle for it ensued. He claimed he might have landed the fatal stab wound on the neck without realizing it.
On the other hand, the prosecutors had another theory of what transpired on the night of October 28, 2012. They argued that Lance broke into Dorsey’s residence on Eastbury Drive for robbery with the help of a hidden key he knew about since he used to live there for a while. However, when he was caught by Kim, he ended up murdering her. During the trial, the defense argued that Lance was not guilty of first-degree murder, asserting that he killed Kim accidentally. However, the prosecution’s case against him was backed with enough evidence. Thus, on April 15, 2015, Lance was finally found guilty of first-degree murder and rape of the 38-year-old mother of 3. He was also convicted of robbing the Dorsey property. Exactly a month later, Lance received three life imprisonment sentences for his gruesome crimes.
Read More: Lance Kirkpatrick: Where is Kim Dorsey’s Killer Now?
