One of the Cormier brothers convicted in the 2012 murder of Pensacola News Journal reporter Sean Dugas was released from a Florida prison Aug. 13, according to prison records.
Christopher Cormier, who is now 44 years old, was released from prison following his 15-year-sentence for helping his twin brother, William, cover up the murder of Dugas and steal his Magic: The Gathering card collection worth between $25,000 and $100,000. Cormier pleaded no contest to accessory after the fact of the murder and robbery.
Although sentenced to 15 years, Cormier served over 11 years in the Florida Department of Corrections’ custody after deductions for time served in jail and any gain time received while in prison, according to his corrections record.
Dugas worked at the News Journal as a newsroom clerk and later as a reporter between 2005 and 2010. His father reported him missing to authorities on Sept. 13, 2012.
Here’s what happened between the Cormier brothers and Dugas.
What happened between Christopher Cormier, William Cormier III and Sean Dugas?
The Cormier brothers were friends of Dugas and had been staying with him in his Pensacola home. Often playing Magic: The Gathering with one another, the trio had known each other for years.
However, on Aug. 27, 2012, the brothers turned on their friend as William Cormier bludgeoned Dugas to death with a hammer. Christopher Cormier helped his brother put Dugas’ body in a plastic storage bin filled with concrete and take it to their father’s home in Winder, Georgia.
While there, they buried Dugas’ body in the backyard, telling their father it was a dead dog. Authorities recovered Dugas less than two months later on Oct. 8.
Before leaving for Georgia, Christopher Cormier testified in his brother’s trial that they attempted to make it appear as if Dugas had moved away by loading up all of his possessions and disposing of them.
What was the Cormier brothers’ motive for killing Sean Dugas?
During the 2014 trial, neither brother discussed the motive of the murder. However, in the days following the murder, the twins stripped Dugas’ residence of everything but a broken TV.
They sold off, threw away or disposed of the belongings piecemeal in the following month, brokering the Magic cards to vendors all over the South.
In total, they made at least $20,000 and bought two cars.
Chief Assistant State Attorney Bridgette Jensen, who was the prosecutor on the case, said during her closing arguments that William Cormier’s greed had been the motivation for a senseless murder.
“He took everything (Sean) had,” Jensen said. “He took his spoons, he took his furniture, he took his Magic cards, and most importantly, he took his life.”
Christopher Cormier’s 15-year sentence a disappointment to family members
The News Journal reached out to Dugas’ parents for comment regarding Cormier’s release from prison but did not receive a response.
Following Cormier’s sentence, Dugas’ aunt Kathy Sherman told the News Journal on behalf of the family in 2014 that they “would have liked Chris to get the maximum sentence as well, but we respect the judge’s decision.”
Sherman, among other family members, asked the judge to sentence Cormier to the maximum allowable prison sentence during the sentencing hearing. Cormier faced a total of 60 years in prison if he was sentenced to the maximum 30 years on the accessory and robbery charges.
Christopher Cormier says he would have stopped Sean Dugas’ death if he was able
Before Cormier was sentenced, he spoke to the court and family sitting in the gallery, saying, “If I could have stopped or prevented what happened to Sean Dugas, I would have. I have come to accept full responsibility for the things I’ve done.”
Cormier also told the judge he had been smoking spice the day his brother was killed and didn’t witness the attack.
“I never saw my brother murder Sean. I just found the body in the garage,” he said, “But I did help clean up. I concealed it.”
Christopher Cormier said he helped hide the body because his brother told him he would go to jail if he didn’t. He said he couldn’t explain why the killing occurred.
Where is William Cormier III?
William Cormier is serving his life sentence at the Madison Correctional Institute in Madison, Florida.
William Cormier attempted to appeal his sentence on multiple grounds, including accusing his lawyer of failing to review and present evidence about his finances, and accusing multiple witnesses of lying in their testimony.
He claimed his attorney should have presented evidence that he was a successful semi-professional poker player, which he believes would have nullified the state’s claim that the murder was financially-motivated.
The appeals court said in its written opinion that William Cormier used the victim’s money, or proceeds from selling the trading cards, directly after the murder to pay for items like car repairs, a new vehicle, and a U-Haul rental so the cash influx from the cards obviously helped his situation. While he was successful in poker, the appeal judges claimed that William Cormier was not financially stable as he’d been otherwise unemployed.
William Cormier’s defense during trial was that his brother was the mastermind behind the murder and he was taking orders from Christopher. He said multiple witnesses lied about his involvement.
What did friends say about Sean Dugas?
Known for his trademark dreadlocks and vintage clothing, many of his friends remember him as a free-spirited nice guy.
“He was the nicest guy I ever met,” Brandon Glass, who often played cards with Dugas, told the News Journal in 2014. “He was a free spirit, living the hippie lifestyle to the fullest.”
“And he brought people closer,” chimed in Richie Clark, another player who said he was “influenced” by Dugas. “I got into Magic right after he did. He really did bring people together.”
Dugas also was known by friends as a person concerned with those on the margins of life. He contributed to local homeless shelters and food pantries and generally held a soft spot for anyone in need.
Friend Nathan Monk said the thing he’ll remember most about Dugas are “his shenanigans.”
“He was always grabbing people walking by and asking them random questions,” Monk recalled. “He was in your face in a good way. He wanted to know why you wore your hair a certain way. He wanted to know how you ticked. He loved people.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Man who helped brother kill PNJ reporter over Magic: The Gathering released from prison
Reporting by Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
