Shivangi Sinha
In 2012, Kim Dorsey was discovered by her husband, Derrick Dorsey, lying in a pool of blood in their bedroom. Derrick, a firefighter in Jacksonville, Florida, and Kim were well-known in their community. Initially, authorities suspected a botched robbery, but an anonymous tip brought their focus closer to home. Forensic evidence ultimately led to the arrest of Lance Kirkpatrick, a friend of the couple, for Kim’s murder. NBC’s ‘Dateline’ episode titled ‘The Smoking Gun: In Cold Blood’ explores the chain of events leading to Lance’s conviction and the evidence presented against him.
Lance Kirkpatrick Stayed With Kim Dorsey Before the Murder
Lance Kirkpatrick had lived a life he once took pride in, having served in the Army. However, he battled substance dependency, which ultimately led to him failing a drug test and being discharged. This marked the beginning of a downward spiral, as his struggles with addiction soon impacted other areas of his life. His marriage deteriorated under the strain, and he eventually lost both his family and his home. Left with nowhere to turn, Lance sought refuge with his friends, Derrick and Kim Dorsey, who lived in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Dorseys had a spare room in their home on Eastbury Drive and also owned a construction business. In an effort to support Lance, they offered him a job, hoping it would help him get back on his feet. However, his personal struggles persisted. Despite this, he and Derrick remained close friends. Derrick had a history of infidelity, and Lance claimed to have introduced him to several women. He also alleged that while living with the Dorseys, he began an affair with Kim. Lance and Kim attended the same gym 3-4 times a week, and he claimed they grew closer. However, some reports contradict this, suggesting that Kim didn’t like her guest at all in any capacity.
By October 2012, Lance was no longer living in the Dorsey home. However, on October 27, 2012, he returned to the house, where he attacked and killed Kim. Derrick, who had completed a 24-hour shift at the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department on October 28, came home to a horrifying scene—his wife lying in a pool of blood in their bedroom, with her hands bound by zip ties. The police were called immediately, and an autopsy later revealed that Kim had died from a knife wound to her throat and had also been sexually assaulted.
Lance Kirkpatrick Claimed He Killed Kim Dorsey in Self Defense
Initially, the police suspected the crime was a burglary gone wrong. However, an anonymous tip pointed them in a new direction, suggesting that Lance Kirkpatrick was responsible for Kim Dorsey’s murder. Following this lead, investigators discovered that the DNA found inside Kim matched Lance’s, leading to his arrest. He was charged with first-degree murder, burglary with assault or battery, and sexual battery with a deadly weapon or great physical force.
During his interrogation, Lance admitted to attacking Kim with a pool stick and a kitchen knife but claimed it was in self-defense. He alleged that he had gone to the house to meet Kim, as they were supposedly in a secret relationship. According to him, after they had been physically intimate, an argument broke out. He claimed that Kim had discovered he had introduced Derrick to other women, which angered her. Lance stated that Kim came after him with a gun, and in an attempt to disarm her, he used the pool stick to knock it out of her hands, eventually knocking her down. He claimed that after subduing Kim with zip ties and taking the gun away, he realized the situation looked very bad. He said he then retrieved a knife from the kitchen and, while trying to untie her, accidentally stabbed her.
Lance Kirkpatrick is Serving Three Life Sentences Today
When Lance Kirkpatrick went to trial in 2015, prosecutors presented a different theory. They argued that Lance had accumulated significant drug debt and intended to break into the Dorsey home to steal something valuable. Knowing that a key was hidden under a statue in the front yard, he gained access to the house but unexpectedly encountered Kim. Prosecutors argued that when Lance unexpectedly encountered Kim Dorsey after breaking into the house, instead of fleeing, he chose to attack, sexually assault, and kill her.
The jury found Lance guilty of first-degree murder, burglary with assault, sexual battery with a weapon, grand theft of a firearm, and trafficking in stolen property. As a result, he was sentenced to three consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, narrowly avoiding the death penalty. Now 43 years old, he is serving his sentence at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility in Florida. He will spend the remainder of his life in prison, never to be released.
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