Office of the District Attorney - Maggie Fleming, District Attorney
NEWS RELEASE
August 24, 2021
District Attorney Maggie Fleming announced that on August 23, 2021, a Humboldt County jury found Richard Avery Dorey, Jr. guilty of kidnapping (Penal Code [PC] section 207), inflicting corporal injury on the mother of his child (PC section 273.5), criminal threats (PC section 422), vandalism (PC section 594), and disobeying a court order (PC section 273.6).
The verdict followed a two-week trial that included testimony by several witnesses, including the essential testimony of Jane Doe. Ms. Doe testified that on November 9, 2019 Richard Dorey, the father of her children, arrived at her mother’s house in Eureka, in violation of a civil harassment order, and damaged a door frame in an attempt to break in. Dorey left after Doe fled to a neighbor’s house and contacted law enforcement. Later that same day, Dorey re-contacted Ms. Doe and asked her to meet him near her mother’s house and threatened to kill himself if she didn’t comply. Ms. Doe subsequently met Dorey and ultimately got into his truck to speak with him about their relationship. Once Ms. Doe got into the truck, Dorey immediately drove away while calling her names and demanding to know who she was seeing. While still in Eureka, Ms. Doe asked to get out of the truck, at which point the defendant told her she, “wasn’t going home,” that night. Ms. Doe further testified that while she was trapped in the vehicle with Dorey and repeatedly asked to go home, he struck her in the face, displayed a knife while further threatening her, and drove at excessive speed. At a point when Dorey slowed to turn onto a highway onramp north of Trinidad, Ms. Doe jumped from the vehicle and was run over by the truck’s back tires, resulting in substantial injuries. The trial also included evidence establishing a pattern of domestic violence by Dorey dating back to at least 2011.
Deputy District Attorney Candace Myers prosecuted the case with the assistance of District Attorney Investigator Martin Morris and Victim Advocate Marybeth Bian. Defense Attorney Andrea Sullivan represented Dorey. Judge Killoran presided over the trial. Sentencing is scheduled for September 13, 2021. Mr. Dorey faces up to nine years in prison.