James Dorr (Brown Co. Jail)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — James Dorr pleaded guilty Friday to the murder of his addiction sponsor and his dog — but was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. As a result, he will be committed to a secure psychiatric facility instead of being sent to prison for stabbing the victim more than two dozen times.
Dorr, 35, pleaded guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to counts of first-degree intentional homicide and mistreatment of animals for the Jan. 28, 2025, murder. He also pleaded no contest to counts of resisting arrest and methamphetamine possession.
Prosecutors agreed to the so-called insanity plea resolution, choosing not to contest a pair of reports diagnosing Dorr with mental illnesses.
When questioned in court Friday, Dorr said he suffered from schizoaffective, depression, and anxiety. He is currently being treated for those, Dorr said.
At the July 10 sentencing, Judge Marc Hammer will sentence Dorr on the criminal resisting and drug counts. Any prison or jail time on those would be served before Dorr would be transferred to the custody of the Dept. of Health Services for the commitment on the homicide count, attorneys said Friday.
The defense and prosecutors will recommend a lifetime commitment to a secure psychiatric facility, court records show.
According to the criminal complaint, police were called to an apartment on Capitol Drive on Jan. 28, where they found the victim — only identified by the initials D.V. — laying on the ground in a doorway. Police also found a poodle, Benji, dead under a bed. Police found Dorr’s wallet at the scene, and was arrested after an officer saw him walking on Mason Street.
When interviewed by police, Dorr admitted to the stabbings.
“I asked if he stabbed him. He said, “yeah I did, and his dog too.” I asked him to explain how that happened. He said he was having thoughts and seeing his daughter and daughter’s mom get raped and murdered. He said it was like the end of the world. He said prior to this, they were talking and getting along. He said they got along just fine. He said they didn’t have a fight. He just thought it was the end of the world and said he didn’t know,” the complaint states. “Dorr explained he was having thoughts in his head and that he saw his daughter and daughter’s mom get murdered. He said he had been fasting without food or water. He said he was fasting for about two days for spiritual reasons.”
“He said he drank alcohol last night and today he used methamphetamine. He said he was feeling fine right at the time. Dorr said he didn’t know what day of the week it was and lost track of time. He said he didn’t know what month it was either,” the complaint states.
Dorr said what he did to the dog was “stupid.”
Dorr said he stabbed D.V. in the chest a “bunch of times.” The autopsy showed the victim had 27 sharp force injuries, including 15 to the chest, the complaint states.
Dorr has been homeless, but said the victim was his addiction sponsor.
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