Facebook via Derrick Dorsey Derrick Dorsey's wife Kim was murdered by his friend Lance Kirkpatrick. The story is featured on July 31's episode of "Dateline."
The murder of Kim Dorsey is the subject of July 31’s episode of Dateline. Lance Eugene Kirkpatrick was convicted of her murder and is currently serving life in prison. The official logline for the episode teases that, “A firefighter discovers a violent scene in his bedroom.”
The firefighter was Dorsey’s husband, Derrick Dorsey, who was also a friend of his wife’s murderer Kirkpatrick.
Since the trial that convicted Kirkpatrick of first-degree murder, rape, and burglary, Dorsey has kept a relatively low profile. Here are the latest updates about where Derrick Dorsey is and how he’s doing today:
Dorsey Got Counseling After Kim’s Death & Became a Certified Hypnotist
While Dorsey previously worked as a firefighter in Jacksonville, he is now a certified hypnotist and works at Tracy Riley Counseling & Hypnosis.
Dorsey’s bio on Tracy Riley’s website alludes to the impact Kim’s death had on his approach to mental health and eventual career shift. It reads, “After 25 years with Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Derrick is now focusing on expanding quality mental health services on a local, national and international level. Derrick knows firsthand the importance of services and personally benefited from professional counseling and hypnosis following a tragedy in his own life. He embarked on a mission to make counseling services more accessible and to minimize the negative stigma placed on today’s fractured mental health industry.”
Dorsey’s last publicly-accessible Facebook post was in January, following the death of Kobe Bryant. In the post, he wrote:
“So I haven’t posted things in a while but today I’d like to comment on the death of Kobe Bryant. Recently there has been backlash concerning the rape charges earlier in his career and how his fans and the media have glossed it over. There is absolutely no forgiveness or sympathy for what he was accused of but the last thing the family needs is to be reminded of it. They are now part of a not so exclusive club of those who have lost loved ones too early in their lives. It’s easy to hide behind social media and make snarky comments but could you say the same things and look them in the eye if they were in front of you. I would hope not. Please recognize that they are not him. Keep them in your thoughts and know that they are struggling. You just never know when you become part of that club.”
Dorsey Stayed in His House After Kim’s Murder, But Redid Their Bedroom Himself
Kirkpatrick lived with the Dorseys in their home for a time, but they kicked him out prior to Kim’s murder. He knew where they hid their spare key, so it was easy for him to break into the home. Derrick Dorsey found his wife’s dead body bound and bloody in their bedroom.
According to The Florida Times-Union, Dorsey was still living in the home where Kim was killed at the time of Kirkpatrick’s murder trial (3 years after the murder took place). The publication reported that “he personally tore down and rebuilt the bedroom where his wife’s body was found to get rid of all the blood.” He also said that the house was referred to in their gated community as “murder house.” While he still appears to reside in Jacksonville, it is unclear if he’s still living in that same home today.
The Cinemaholic reports that Dorsey remarried a woman named Tracy Riley in 2015. While he said she helped him heal from the trauma he faced due to Kim’s murder, the two ultimately divorced. His Facebook relationship status is currently listed as “Divorced.” Interesting enough, Tracy Riley is the name of the hypnosis and counseling center where he currently works.
Dateline airs on Friday nights at 9/8c on NBC.
READ NEXT: Beyonce’s ‘Black Is King’ on Disney+ Cast Spoilers for Visual Album