Jury finds Lance Kirkpatrick guilty of first-degree murder

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A man accused of murdering the wife of a local firefighter faces the death penalty.

On Wednesday, Lance Kirkpatrick was found guilty of murder in the death of Kim Dorsey.
 
It took the jury only two-and-a-half hours to find Lance Kirkpatrick guilty of first degree murder in the death of Kim Dorsey.
 
The jury also found Kirkpatrick guilty of rape and burglary. After the verdict was read, Dorsey's family sat stone-faced while Kirkpatrick's was crying. He was led away in handcuffs. Dorsey was the wife of a Jacksonville firefighter.

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In October of 2012, Dorsey was killed when she was hit with a blunt object and stabbed. Kirkpatrick admits to killing her, but said it was an accident and the two were actually having an affair.

According to police, Kirkpatrick was hired as a contractor for the Dorseys. Police said the Dorseys let him stay at their home when he fell on hard times. But they said one day, Kirkpatrick came to pick up a few work items from the home and Dorsey wouldn't let him in.

Police say that's when he turned violent and hit Dorsey on the head and stabbed and raped her.
 
The penalty phase of the case starts Friday and Kirkpatrick could face the death penalty.

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