Former Georgia Sheriff and two others charged with murder of new sheriff-elect

A former DeKalb County (GA) sheriff and two other men were arrested and charged with murder in Decatur, GA, in the slaying of a sheriff-elect who was ambushed in his driveway last year just two days before he was to take office, authorities said.

Former DeKalb County Sheriff Sidney Dorsey is among those charged with murder in connection with the death of Derwin Brown.

Dorsey lost a re-election bid to Brown in August. During his campaign, Brown promised to clean up the sheriffs department that had been plagued by years of corruption.

Also charged with murder were former sheriffs deputy Melvin Walker of Conyers, GA, and Daniel Isaiah Ramsey, whom Dorsey tried to recruit as a sheriffs deputy.

After the slaying, Dorsey repeatedly denied any involvement. In one television appearance, he said the people responsible "should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. And I mean capital punishment."

Dorsey's attorney, Brian Steel, said his client "is clearly innocent of all charges."

Dorsey had been under investigation for allegedly using on-duty deputies to work for his private security company and for letting jail inmates work in a home repair program run by his wife.

Brown told 38 departmental employees they would be fired when he took office Jan. 1.

Brown's wife, Phyllis, attended the recent court hearing of the three suspects and said, "It's hard only because I still have just one question to ask," she said. "All I want to know is why?"