Kathleen Dorsett (born July 2, 1974) is a former
Neptune, New Jersey schoolteacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. wh ...
who was
convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convict ...
ed of the August 2010
murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
of her
ex-husband
Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
, Stephen Moore, in May 2013.
Her father, Thomas Dorsett, also pled guilty to the murder, and Dorsett's mother, Lesley Dorsett, a former member of the
Ocean Township Board of Education
A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution.
The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional are ...
, pleaded guilty to
conspiracy to commit murder
Conspiracy to murder is a statutory offence defined by the intent to commit murder.
England and Wales
The offence of conspiracy to murder was created in statutory law by section 4 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and retained as ...
in 2013.
The case made headlines across
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
and throughout the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Background
Kathleen Dorsett, a
kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...
and
third grade
Third grade (also called grade three, equivalent to Year 4 in England) is a year of primary education in many countries. It is the third school year of primary school. Students are usually 8–9 years old.
Examples of the American syllabus
*In ...
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
at the
Gables School in
Neptune Township, New Jersey
Neptune Township is a township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population was 28,061, an increase of 126 from the 2010 census enumeration of 27,935, in turn an increase of 245 (+ ...
,
and Stephen Moore, a
salesman
Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale.
The seller, or the provider of the goods or services, completes a sale in r ...
at a local
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
dealership, and former
speed skater
Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. ...
, married in June 2007.
The following year, Kathleen gave birth to the couple's only daughter. Shortly after though, the couple began disagreeing about how to best care for their daughter. Eventually the couple began
divorce
Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
proceedings and a custody battle ensued. The divorce was later finalized in June 2010, with Kathleen receiving
primary physical custody
Primary physical custody is a term that is often used in child custody orders to denote the parent with whom a child spends or lives the majority of the time with. It is a term that is often used in cases where one parent has more time with his/he ...
.
After the divorce, Kathleen's parents, Thomas and Lesley Dorsett, planned to move to Florida with their daughter Kathleen and her daughter. However, the couple would have had to help Stephen Moore move there too, so he could have access to their daughter. This would require Thomas Dorsett providing financial assistance to Moore for the first six months following the move.
Murder
On August 16, 2010, Stephen Moore was dropping off his daughter at Kathleen's parent's home in
Oakhurst, New Jersey
Oakhurst is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) within Ocean Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. . Following the exchange, Stephen was beaten to death by Kathleen's father, Thomas Dorsett, in the driveway of their home, while Kathleen was allegedly changing the child's diaper.
Later that day, when he failed to show up to work at the
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
dealership, Stephen was reported as a
missing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown.
A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, de ...
by his employer. Two days later, on August 18, 2010, Stephen's body was found in the back of his mother's burning 2001
Nissan Altima
The Nissan Altima is a mid-size car that has been manufactured by Nissan since 1992. It is a continuation of the Nissan Bluebird line, which began in 1955.
The Altima has historically been larger, more powerful, and more luxurious than the Nissa ...
in
Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch is a beachside City (New Jersey), city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, the city's population was 30,719,[< ...]
.
Investigation
Shortly after the murder on August 23, Kathleen Dorsett was arrested and charged with one count of
first-degree murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...
and one count of fourth-degree
tampering with evidence
Tampering with evidence, or evidence tampering, is an act in which a person alters, conceals, falsifies, or destroys evidence with the intent to interfere with an investigation (usually) by a law-enforcement, governmental, or regulatory authority. ...
. Following his daughter's arrest, Thomas Dorsett attempted
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
by ingesting
refrigerant
A refrigerant is a working fluid used in the heat pump and refrigeration cycle, refrigeration cycle of air conditioning systems and heat pumps where in most cases they undergo a repeated phase transition from a liquid to a gas and back again. Ref ...
outside his attorney's office. He survived and was charged with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of fourth-degree tampering with evidence, and one count of third-degree
witness tampering
Witness tampering is the act of attempting to improperly influence, alter or prevent the testimony of witnesses within criminal or civil proceedings.
Witness tampering and reprisals against witnesses in organized crime cases have been a difficul ...
.
Another man, Anthony Morris, was charged with
arson
Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...
and
desecration
Desecration is the act of depriving something of its sacred character, or the disrespectful, contemptuous, or destructive treatment of that which is held to be sacred or holy by a group or individual.
Detail
Many consider acts of desecration to ...
of human remains; he had allegedly been paid $3,000 by Thomas Dorsett to burn Stephen Moore's mother's car with his body in the trunk. Kathleen and Thomas Dorsett were held at the
Monmouth County jail
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correc ...
on $1.5 million and $2.5 million cash
bail
Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Bail is the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when required.
In some countries ...
, respectively.
While in jail awaiting trial, Kathleen Dorsett and her mother Lesley were charged with
conspiracy to commit murder
Conspiracy to murder is a statutory offence defined by the intent to commit murder.
England and Wales
The offence of conspiracy to murder was created in statutory law by section 4 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and retained as ...
and
attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime of attempt in various jurisdictions.
Canada
Section 239 of the ''Criminal Code'' makes attempted murder punishable by a maximum of life imprisonment. If a gun is used, the minimum sentence is four, five or seven ye ...
for attempting to arrange and solicit a
hit man
Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be ...
to kill Stephen Moore's mother, Evlyn, who received custody of his daughter after Kathleen's arrest. During this investigation, it was also discovered that the Dorsett family was involved in
money laundering
Money laundering is the process of concealing the origin of money, obtained from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, corruption, embezzlement or gambling, by converting it into a legitimate source. It is a crime in many jurisdictions ...
, as they had attempted to conceal $96,000 worth of assets. In November 2010, all three Dorsetts were charged with money laundering.
Convictions
In April 2011, Anthony Morris pled guilty to conspiracy to disturb or desecrate human remains. Under his
plea agreement
A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or '' nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendan ...
, he was sentenced to less than seven years in prison.
In May 2013, Kathleen, Thomas, and Lesley Dorsett pled guilty to all charges against them.
Kathleen Dorsett was sentenced to 30 years in prison for
murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
, 20 years for
attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime of attempt in various jurisdictions.
Canada
Section 239 of the ''Criminal Code'' makes attempted murder punishable by a maximum of life imprisonment. If a gun is used, the minimum sentence is four, five or seven ye ...
, and 8 years for
conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agree ...
. She is serving her sentences, running
consecutively, at the
Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women
Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women (formerly the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women) is a prison facility for women of the state of New Jersey Department of Corrections, located in Union Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, near ...
in
Union Township, New Jersey. She is eligible for parole in August 2057, when she will be 83 years old. Since her incarceration, the
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered ...
has stripped Kathleen of her
teaching certificate
A certified teacher is an educator who has earned credentials from an authoritative source, such as the government, a higher education institution or a private body or source. This teacher qualification gives a teacher authorization to teach and ...
s.
Thomas Dorsett was sentenced to 30 years for murder and 15 years for conspiracy to commit arson. He is serving his sentences at the
New Jersey State Prison
The New Jersey State Prison (NJSP), formerly known as Trenton State Prison, is a state men's prison in Trenton, New Jersey operated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections. It is the oldest prison in New Jersey and one of the oldest correcti ...
in Trenton, New Jersey. He will be eligible for parole in August 2040, he will be 93 years old.
Lesley Dorsett was sentenced to 7 years for conspiracy to commit murder. Like her daughter, she was incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. She became eligible for parole in December 2016 and has now been released.
Evlyn Moore, Stephen Moore's mother, has custody of Stephen and Kathleen's daughter until 2021, when she passed away at the age of 86. Their daughter, continues to live with other family members, just as a Stephen would have wanted.
In the media
Stephen Moore's murder was featured on ''
Dateline NBC
''Dateline NBC'' is a weekly American television news magazine/reality legal show that is broadcast on NBC. It was previously the network's flagship general interest news magazine, but now focuses mainly on true crime stories with only occasion ...
'' in April 2015
and the
Oxygen
Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as wel ...
channel's series ''
Snapped
''Snapped'' is an American true crime television series produced by Jupiter Entertainment. The series depicts high profile or bizarre cases of women accused of murder. Each episode outlines the motivation for murder, whether it be revenge agains ...
'' in August 2015.
It was also featured on ''
Dateline NBC
''Dateline NBC'' is a weekly American television news magazine/reality legal show that is broadcast on NBC. It was previously the network's flagship general interest news magazine, but now focuses mainly on true crime stories with only occasion ...
'' on May 1, 2021 episode named Family Affair
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsett, Kathleen
1974 births
Living people
People from Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey
Schoolteachers from New Jersey
American women educators
American female murderers
American people convicted of murder
American people convicted of attempted murder
People convicted of murder by New Jersey
2010 in New Jersey
Mariticides
21st-century American women